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30–40° of your view For everyday viewing, sit about 1.6× the screen size away (about 30°); for a cinema feel, about 1.2× (THX’s 40°). At 9 ft (108 in), that’s a 66 to 90 in TV. Mount it with the center near seated eye height, about 42 in from the floor.
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
| Standard | Viewing angle | Seat distance | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everyday | 30° | about 1.6× the screen size | Everyday TV, sports, mixed viewing |
| THX and LG | 40° | about 1.2× the screen size | Movies, a cinema-like feel |
| ITU, for 4K | 58° | 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. The 30° comes from SMPTE’s cinema guideline for the farthest seat (EG 18-1994, withdrawn in 2003); THX’s 40° is its rule of screen size = distance × 0.835, and LG’s is distance ÷ 1.2. The ITU row is from its Report BT.2246.
TV size by seating distance
| Eyes to screen | 30° | 40° (THX, LG) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 ft | 44 in | 60 in |
| 7 ft | 52 in | 70 in |
| 8 ft | 59 in | 80 in |
| 9 ft | 66 in | 90 in |
| 10 ft | 74 in | 100 in |
| 11 ft | 81 in | 110 in |
| 12 ft | 89 in | 120 in |
Screen size = distance ÷ 1.63 (30°) or ÷ 1.20 (40°), rounded: the geometry of a 16:9 screen. THX’s distance × 0.835 is the same 40°; Kaleidescape’s 30° shortcut, distance × 0.65, gives a slightly bigger screen.
Then round to a TV you can actually buy. If your seat falls between two sizes, the smaller one stays nearer 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 in from the floor for most sofas (Yamaha measures 42.5 in). For a 65 in TV, which is about 32 in tall, that puts the bottom edge at about 26 in.
Over a fireplace, check the angle instead of the height. CEDIA advises that viewers shouldn’t look up more than 15° to the top of the screen. A 65 in TV centered 66 in above the floor, seen from 10 ft, 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.
- Eyes to screen from your usual seat, not from the front edge of the sofa.
- The wall or stand width: a 65 in screen is about 56½ in 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.
Guides that use this tool
- Two Sofas Facing Each Other: The Distance Between Them and the Room You Need
- Bay Window Living Room Layout: What Fits in the Bay, and 2 Measured Plans for a 10×12
- 10×12 Living Room Layouts: Sofa, TV and a Chair in 120 Square Feet
- 12×12 Living Room Layouts: Square Room Plans With a Sofa, Chair and TV
- Sectional in a Small Living Room: The Size That Fits a 10×10 to a 12×15, Planner-Checked
Questions
What size TV for a 10-foot viewing distance?
At 10 ft (120 in), a 74 in screen fills 30° and a 100 in screen fills 40°. A 75 in TV fills about 30.5°, a good everyday pick.
How far should you sit from a 55-inch TV?
Between about 5 ft 6 in (40°) and 7 ft 5 in (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’s optimal viewing distance for 4K, the closest you can sit before single pixels show, is 1.5× the screen height (about 0.74× the diagonal), against 3.1× the height for HD.
Sources
- How to Choose the Right TV Size for Your Room (LG): screen size = viewing distance ÷ 1.2, for a 40° view
- What size TV should I buy for my living room? (THX): screen size = viewing distance × 0.835, the same 40°
- EG 18-1994: Design of Effective Cine Theaters (SMPTE, withdrawn in 2003): a picture filling about 30° of the farthest seat’s view, where the common 30° comes from
- Screen Size, Viewing Distance & Resolution (Kaleidescape)
- How far away should you sit from your TV? (What Hi-Fi)
- Report ITU-R BT.2246-7 (International Telecommunication Union): 4K viewed from 1.5 × the picture height, a 58° view; HD from 3.1 ×
- How and where to mount a TV and sound bar (Yamaha)
- This Is How High to Mount Your TV on the Wall (Bob Vila)
- Home theater viewing angles, distances and sightlines (Acoustic Frontiers, citing CEDIA)