TV Size Calculator
Enter how far you sit from the TV and get the screen sizes that fit, from the sizes TVs are sold in. Or start from a TV size and see where to sit.
By Nora Callahan · Updated
Your setup
TV sizes that fit
75 to 85 in TV
From 9 ft, a screen of 67 to 90 in fills 30° to 40° of your view. For the most immersive picture, pick the largest that fits your space and budget: here, 85 in.
Sizes to buy
- 55 inDoesn't fitfills 25°, too small
- 65 inTightfills 29°, a little small
- 75 inFitsfills 34°
- 77 inFitsfills 35°
- 83 inFitsfills 37°
- 85 inFitsfills 38°
- 97 inDoesn't fitfills 43°, too big
Fits: the TV fills 30° to 40° of your view. Tight: within 2 in of that range. Sizes are the classes TVs are sold in.
Check the TV's full width too: the TV is a little wider than its screen. How we calculate
The short answer
A TV is a good size for your seat when its screen fills about 30° to 40° of your view. To find that range, multiply your viewing distance in inches by 0.61 for the smallest screen and by 0.84 for the largest. From 9 ft, that works out to a 75 to 85 in TV; from 6 ft, a 48 to 55 in TV.
The calculator does the math for you and checks the result against the sizes TVs are actually sold in, from 32 in to 100 in. It also works the other way: enter a TV size and it shows where to sit.
How to measure your viewing distance
- Sit where you usually watch. Use your main seat, usually the middle of the sofa.
- Measure from your eyes to the screen. If the TV will hang on a wall, measure to the wall. If it will sit on a stand, measure to where the front of the screen will be.
- Measure straight ahead, not at an angle, and round to the nearest inch.
- Enter the distance in feet and inches (or switch to meters with the toggle).
If people watch from several seats, run the calculator for the closest and the farthest one. A size that fits both works for everyone in between.
How to use the calculator
- Pick what you want to find. “TV size” gives the screen sizes for your seat. “Seating distance” gives the range of seats for a TV you already have or have picked out.
- Enter your number. The result updates as you type.
- Read the list. Every TV size near your range gets a label: Fits, Tight or Doesn’t fit, with the share of your view it fills.
- Save or share it. Copy link keeps your numbers in the address, so the result opens the same way on another device.
How we calculate
The calculator works with the viewing angle: how much of your view, side to side, the screen fills from your seat.
- The smallest size fills 30°. From the seat farthest from the screen, the picture should fill about 30° of your view. The calculator uses that as the smallest screen worth buying for a seat.
- The largest size fills 40°. That’s the most immersive view. As a distance, it puts the closest seat about 1.2 times the screen size away.
- From angle to size. A 16:9 screen is about 0.872 times its diagonal wide. The angle it fills is 2 × arctan(width ÷ (2 × distance)), so the calculator can turn any distance into a range of diagonals and any diagonal into a range of seats. Closest seat: about 1.2 times the TV size. Farthest seat: about 1.6 times.
- Sizes you can buy. The list holds the TV sizes sold in the US, from 32 in to 100 in. A size inside the range Fits. A size within 2 in outside it is Tight. Anything farther out Doesn’t fit, and the list shows the nearest one on each side so you can see where the range ends.
- Rounding. Distance ranges are rounded inward to whole inches, so both ends stay inside the range.
Beyond about 13 ft 6 in, even a 100 in TV fills less than 30°. The calculator says so and suggests the largest size or a closer seat.
Worked examples
Worked example
A sofa 9 ft from the TV
What we know
- Viewing distance: 9 ft (108 in)
How it works out
- To fill 30° of your view from 108 in, a screen needs a diagonal of at least 66.4 in.
- To fill 40°, the diagonal can go up to 90.2 in.
- TV sizes on sale in that range: 75 in, 77 in, 83 in, 85 in.
- 65 in is just under the range, so it's a tight fit.
Choose a 75 to 85 in TV. The largest, 85 in, gives the most immersive view.
Worked example
Where to sit for a 65 in TV
What we know
- TV size: 65 in (the diagonal)
How it works out
- A 16:9 screen is about 0.872 times its diagonal wide, so a 65 in TV is 56.7 in wide.
- It fills 40° of your view from 77.8 in: the closest seat.
- It fills 30° from 105.7 in: the farthest seat.
Sit 6 ft 6 in to 8 ft 9 in from the screen.
Worked example
A small room, 6 ft from the TV
What we know
- Viewing distance: 6 ft (72 in)
How it works out
- To fill 30° of your view from 72 in, a screen needs a diagonal of at least 44.3 in.
- To fill 40°, the diagonal can go up to 60.1 in.
- TV sizes on sale in that range: 48 in, 50 in, 55 in.
- 43 in is just under the range, so it's a tight fit.
Choose a 48 to 55 in TV. The largest, 55 in, gives the most immersive view.
TV size by viewing distance
The ideal screen is the range that fills 30° to 40° of your view. The last column lists the TV sizes on sale inside that range.
| Viewing distance | Ideal screen | TV sizes that fit |
|---|---|---|
| 4 ft | 30 to 40 in | 32 in |
| 5 ft | 37 to 50 in | 42 to 50 in |
| 6 ft | 45 to 60 in | 48 to 55 in |
| 7 ft | 52 to 70 in | 55 to 65 in |
| 8 ft | 60 to 80 in | 65 to 77 in |
| 9 ft | 67 to 90 in | 75 to 85 in |
| 10 ft | 74 to 100 in | 75 to 100 in |
| 11 ft | 82 to 110 in | 83 to 100 in |
| 12 ft | 89 to 120 in | 97 to 100 in |
| 13 ft | 96 to 130 in | 97 to 100 in |
Where to sit for each TV size
The closest seat is where the screen fills 40° of your view; the farthest is where it fills 30°.
| TV size | Where to sit |
|---|---|
| 32 in | 3 ft 3 in to 4 ft 4 in |
| 43 in | 4 ft 4 in to 5 ft 9 in |
| 50 in | 5 ft to 6 ft 9 in |
| 55 in | 5 ft 6 in to 7 ft 5 in |
| 65 in | 6 ft 6 in to 8 ft 9 in |
| 75 in | 7 ft 6 in to 10 ft 1 in |
| 85 in | 8 ft 6 in to 11 ft 6 in |
| 98 in | 9 ft 10 in to 13 ft 3 in |
For example, a 55 inch TV suits seats 5 ft 6 in to 7 ft 5 in away, a 75 inch TV 7 ft 6 in to 10 ft 1 in, and an 85 inch TV 8 ft 6 in to 11 ft 6 in.
Before you buy
The size on the box is the screen’s diagonal. The TV itself is a little wider and taller, and the stand adds depth, so check the full dimensions on the product page against your wall, console or cabinet.
If two sizes both fit your seat, the larger one gives the more immersive picture, so go as big as your space and budget allow. If the largest size feels like too much for the room, the smaller one is still inside the guideline.
Once you’ve picked a size, the TV mounting height calculator shows how high to hang it so the middle of the screen sits at your eye level.
Before you order, cut a piece of cardboard (or tape an outline on the wall) to the TV’s full width and height, put it where the TV will go, and look at it from your seat for a few minutes. It’s the quickest way to see whether a size feels right in your room.
Frequently asked questions
What size TV do I need?
Measure from your seat to the TV wall in inches, then multiply by 0.61 and by 0.84. Screens between those two sizes fill 30° to 40° of your view, the range the calculator aims for. From 9 ft, that's a 75 to 85 in TV.
How far should you sit from a 65 inch TV?
About 6 ft 6 in to 8 ft 9 in from the screen. Closer than that, a 65 inch screen fills more than 40° of your view; farther back, it fills less than 30°.
What size TV is right for a living room?
Go by the seating distance, not the size of the room. Measure from where you sit to the wall the TV will hang on: from 8 ft, a 65 to 77 in TV fits; from 10 ft, a 75 to 100 in TV does. If the sofa can move, the calculator's seating mode shows the best spot for the TV you already have.
Is a bigger TV always better?
Up to a point. Go for the largest size that fits your space and budget, as far as the top of the calculator's range: the size that fills 40° of your view, the most immersive angle. Bigger than that is a personal choice: the calculator marks those sizes Tight or Doesn't fit so you can see how far past the guideline they are.
How is TV size measured?
Diagonally, from one corner of the screen to the opposite corner, in inches. The whole TV is wider than its screen, so check the product's full dimensions before you buy, especially for a TV that sits between shelves or in a cabinet.
What does Tight mean in the results?
A Tight size sits just outside the ideal range, within 2 in of it. It's a little small (or a little big) for your seat by the guideline, but close enough to consider, for example when the next size up doesn't fit your wall or budget.
Next step
TV Mounting Height CalculatorEnter your seated eye height and TV size to get the center height from the floor, plus a comfort check for a TV that has to clear a dresser or mantel.
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