TV Viewing Distance Calculator
Find the right couch-to-screen distance for your TV size, or the right TV size for your seat, using the THX and SMPTE viewing-angle guidelines and the distance at which 4K, 8K and 1080p detail is visible. Also shows the viewing angle from your seat and how high to mount the screen.
How it works
Screen width = diagonal × 16 ÷ √(16² + 9²) = 0.872 × diagonal (16:9) · 4K/8K distance = 1.2 to 1.6 × diagonal (the screen fills about 40° to 30° of your view) · 1080p distance = 1.5 to 2.5 × diagonal · viewing angle = 2 × atan(width ÷ 2 ÷ distance) · distance for an angle = (width ÷ 2) ÷ tan(angle ÷ 2) · pixels blend (20/20 vision, 1 arcminute) at distance = (screen height ÷ vertical pixels) × 3,438 · TV size for a seat = distance ÷ 1.6 to distance ÷ 1.2
Two ideas decide where to sit. The first is how much of your view the screen fills: SMPTE recommends at least 30° for home viewing and THX aims for about 40° for a cinema-like picture, which for a 16:9 TV works out to 1.6 and 1.2 times the diagonal. The second is resolution: a person with 20/20 vision can just make out details one arcminute across, so each pixel should be at most that size from your seat. A 4K screen reaches that point at about 0.78 times its diagonal and a 1080p screen at about 1.56 times, so from farther than roughly 1.6 diagonals a 4K TV looks no sharper than a 1080p one. That is why the 4K range sits closer than the 1080p range (1.5 to 2.5 times the diagonal), and why 8K only helps when you sit unusually close. Work in either direction: enter the TV size for the distance, or your seat distance for the TV size, and see the viewing angle from your seat. For an ultrawide or 4:3 screen the ranges use its real width and height. The mounting height follows the common rule of putting the center of the screen at seated eye level, about 42 inches on a typical sofa.
Worked example
A 65-inch 4K TV is 56.7 inches wide. 65 × 1.2 = 78 in and 65 × 1.6 = 104 in, so sit about 6.5 to 8.7 feet away; the same size at 1080p wants 8.1 to 13.5 feet. From an 8-foot (96-inch) sofa the screen fills 2 × atan(28.3 ÷ 96) = 32.9° of your view, inside the 30–40° range, and pixels of a 4K panel blend together beyond 4.2 feet. Working backwards from the same 8-foot seat, 96 ÷ 1.6 = 60 and 96 ÷ 1.2 = 80, so a 4K TV of 60 to 80 inches fits; 65 and 75 inches are the common sizes in that range. With your eyes 42 inches above the floor, the center of the 65-inch screen goes at 42 inches and its bottom edge at about 26 inches.
Sources: RTINGS — TV size to distance calculator and the science behind it · SMPTE EG-18-1994, Design of effective cine theaters (30° viewing angle) · Inch Calculator — TV size and viewing distance
Frequently asked questions
We sit 10 feet away — what size should we buy?
Switch to “My seating distance” and enter 10 ft: 120 inches ÷ 1.6 to ÷ 1.2 gives a 75–100 inch 4K screen, so 75, 77, 83, 85 or 98 inches. Most people buy one size too small for their room; starting from the distance avoids that.
Is 8K worth it at these distances?
Almost never. An 8K pixel is too small to see from farther than about 0.4 times the diagonal, and even 4K detail needs you within about 0.8 diagonals. At normal distances of 1.2 to 1.6 diagonals, 8K looks the same as 4K.
What are the THX and SMPTE guidelines?
They describe how wide the screen should look from your seat. SMPTE suggests the screen fill at least 30° of your horizontal view; THX recommends about 40° for an immersive picture and treats 26° as the limit. The calculator lists the distance for each angle for your screen size.
Does mounting height matter too?
Yes. Put the center of the screen at seated eye level, or slightly below. The calculator gives the center and bottom-edge heights from your eye height. Mounts high over a fireplace make you look up by 15° or more, which gets tiring.
Why is the 1080p distance farther than the 4K distance?
A 1080p panel has pixels twice as large as a 4K panel of the same size, so you need to sit about twice as far away before they blend into a smooth picture. Sitting closer to a 4K TV gives a bigger-looking picture without visible pixels.
Related calculators
This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.