TV size & viewing distance calculator

How the calculator works

It uses the horizontal viewing angle: how wide the picture looks from your seat. For a 16:9 screen the width is 0.872 times the diagonal, and the angle is twice the arctangent of half the width over your distance.

• 30–40° is the recommended band. SMPTE’s reference viewing distance (3 to 3.2 picture heights) gives about 31–33°, and THX recommends 40° for a cinema-like view.
• Under 30° the picture looks small: fine for casual TV and news. Samsung’s relaxed rule of thumb (distance = diagonal ÷ 0.55) is about 27°.
• Over 40° is immersive, like the middle of a cinema. CEDIA/CTA RP22 cites 61° as the maximum for 4K video; past it you turn your head to follow the action.

Resolution sets a separate limit. ITU-R BT.1845 and BT.2022 design viewing distances so each pixel spans about one arcminute: 1.6 picture heights for 4K and 3.2 for 1080p. Inside the recommended band a 4K screen never shows its pixels; a 1080p screen can look slightly soft at the near end.

Measuring your distance

Measure from where your eyes will be to the screen. On a typical sofa your eyes are 1½ to 2 feet in front of the backrest, so a sofa whose back is 10 feet from a wall-mounted TV puts your eyes about 8 to 8½ feet away. If the TV sits on a deep console, subtract the console’s depth too.

See the size in your own roomRoom Studio shows the angle from every seat, in 3D, with real TV models. Open Room Studio →

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