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TV Size and Viewing Distance Calculator

Enter how far you sit from the screen. We show which TV sizes fill the 30–40° of your view that SMPTE and THX recommend, and how high to mount it.

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Short answer

30–40° of your view For everyday viewing, sit about 1.6× the screen size away (SMPTE’s 30°); for a cinema feel, about 1.2× (THX’s 40°). At 9′ (108″), that’s a 66–90″ TV. Mount it with the center near seated eye height, about 42″ from the floor.

1.6×

distance ÷ screen size for 30°

1.2×

distance ÷ screen size for 40°

42″

screen center height

TV sizes are measured diagonally, corner to corner across the screen. What decides comfort is how much of your view the screen fills: too little and detail gets lost, too much and you turn your head to follow the action. Two standards set the range, and the calculator above works it out for any seat.

Viewing angle standards

StandardViewing angleSeat distanceBest for
SMPTE30°about 1.6× the screen sizeEveryday TV, sports, mixed viewing
THX40°about 1.2× the screen sizeMovies, a cinema-like feel
ITU, for 4K58°1.5× the screen height (about 0.74× the size)The closest you can sit before the picture breaks into pixels
Distances for a 16:9 screen, measured from your eyes to the screen.

TV size by seating distance

Eyes to screen30° (SMPTE)40° (THX)
6′44″60″
7′52″70″
8′59″80″
9′66″90″
10′74″100″
11′81″110″
12′89″120″
Screen size = distance ÷ 1.63 (30°) or ÷ 1.20 (40°), rounded.

Then round to a TV you can actually buy. If your seat falls between two sizes, the smaller one stays nearer SMPTE’s 30° for everyday viewing; the larger one moves toward THX’s 40° for movies.

How high to mount a TV

Put the center of the screen near the eye height of a seated viewer, about 42″ from the floor for most sofas (Yamaha measures 42.5″). For a 65″ TV, which is about 32″ tall, that puts the bottom edge at about 26″.

Over a fireplace, check the angle instead of the height. CEDIA and THX advise that viewers shouldn’t look up more than 15° to the top of the screen. A 65″ TV centered 66″ above the floor, seen from 10′, asks you to look up about 18°: more than they recommend. Sitting farther back or mounting lower brings it under 15°; the calculator shows the angle as you change either.

The numbers we used

These are the numbers behind the calculator. Where they come from is listed under Sources at the end.

30°

SMPTE viewing angle

40°

THX viewing angle

1.6×

Distance ÷ size at 30°

1.2×

Distance ÷ size at 40°

42″

Screen center height

15°

Most to look up to the top

Measure this first

  • Eyes to screen from your usual seat, not from the front edge of the sofa.
  • The wall or stand width: a 65″ screen is about 56½″ wide before the frame.
  • Seated eye height, if your sofa sits unusually low or high.
  • What sits below the TV: a fireplace, console or soundbar.

Questions people ask

What size TV for a 10-foot viewing distance?

At 10′ (120″), a 74″ screen fills 30° and a 100″ screen fills 40°. A 75″ TV fills about 30.5°, a good everyday pick.

How far should you sit from a 55-inch TV?

Between about 5′ 6″ (40°) and 7′ 5″ (30°).

Is a bigger TV always better?

Not past about 40°. Beyond that you start turning your head to follow the action; THX’s 40° is already meant for a movie room.

Does 4K let you sit closer?

Yes. The ITU puts the closest comfortable distance for 4K at 1.5× the screen height, about 0.74× the diagonal, compared with 3.1× the height for HD.

Fitting the sofa, too?

See measured layouts for small living rooms, with the walkways and viewing distance checked.

Sectional layouts

Related: Two sofas facing each other · Small living room with a bay window · Small living room with patio doors

Sources