TV Distance Calculator Explained

By Last updated: March 08, 2024

TV Distance Calculator

What is an ideal TV distance calculator?

The ideal TV distance calculator is a helpful tool for calculating the perfect seat distance, depending on the size of your TV and the type of content you're watching. Optimal viewing distance ensures a comfortable, immersive, and enjoyable viewing experience whenever you watch your favorite content.

Understanding viewing distance and field of view

Understanding the crucial relationship between your TV viewing distance and your field of view is vital to optimizing your viewing experience. This knowledge will guide you in calculating the ideal distance between your TV and your watching position.

The field of view (FOV) is the measurement that determines the extent of the observable area seen by a person when looking at a TV screen. It can be calculated by measuring the angle between the viewer's eyes and the edges of the screen.

It's important to note that the size of your TV and the distance between you and the screen significantly impact your field of view. The closer you are to the screen, the more comprehensive your field of view becomes while moving further away narrows it.

30 deg vs 40 deg field of view and distance
Different viewing distances for 30° and 40° field of views.

Let's say you are watching a movie on a big-screen TV. If you sit too far from the TV, the picture will appear small, and you may need help seeing all the details. However, if you move closer to the TV, the picture will get bigger, and you can see more information, making the movie-watching experience more immersive. 

On the other hand, if you sit too close to the TV, the picture may appear distorted, and you may have to move your head around to see the entire screen. Therefore, finding the optimal distance from the TV is crucial for the best viewing experience.

Ideal TV distances for an optimal viewing experience

The table below displays the optimal viewing distances for standard TV sizes to ensure the best viewing experience. Our recommended distance is based on the 30° viewing angle suggested by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE).

TV SizeDistance (ft)Distance (m)
32"4.34 ft1.32 m
40"5.42 ft1.65 m
43"5.83 ft1.78 m
50"6.78 ft2.07 m
55"7.45 ft2.27 m
60"8.13 ft2.48 m
65"8.81 ft2.69 m
70"9.49 ft2.89 m
75"10.16 ft3.1 m
80"10.84 ft3.3 m
85"11.52 ft3.51 m
98"13.28 ft4.05 m
Table of standard TV sizes and recommended viewing distance for optimal experience.

Ideal TV distances for a theater-like experience

The table below displays the recommended viewing distances for standard TV sizes to ensure the best immersive viewing experience. Our recommended distance is based on the 40° viewing angle suggested by the THX.

TV SizeDistance (ft)Distance (m)
32"3.19 ft0.97 m
40"3.99 ft1.22 m
43"4.29 ft1.31 m
50"4.99 ft1.52 m
55"5.49 ft1.67 m
60"5.99 ft1.82 m
65"6.49 ft1.98 m
70"6.98 ft2.13 m
75"7.48 ft2.28 m
80"7.98 ft2.43 m
85"8.48 ft2.59 m
98"9.78 ft2.98 m
Table of standard TV sizes and optimal viewing distance for the most immersive viewing experience.

User Guide

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for using our calculator.

TV Distance Calculator

How do you use a TV-distance calculator?

Our TV distance calculator can assist you in finding the optimal viewing distance for your television, ensuring the best viewing experience without seeing individual pixels. Follow the steps outlined below:

Fill in the information

Step 1—Specify your TV size. You can choose from the presets or manually enter one of the TV screen dimensions you know: diagonal, width, or height. Our calculator will calculate the rest for you.

TV Distance Calc - Input TV Size

Step 2—Select a TV screen resolution from presets or select Custom to enter a custom one.

TV Distance Calc - Input TV Resolution

Understanding the results

When you complete filling in all the information, our ideal TV-distance calculator will calculate and show the three different results:

TV Distance Calc - Result

  1. Ideal distance (30°) - the distance you can comfortably watch your TV that covers 30 degrees of your viewing angle.
  2. Closest ideal distance (40°) - the closest distance you can comfortably watch your TV that covers 40 degrees of your viewing angle.
  3. Closest pixel-free distance - the closest distance you can watch your TV without seeing the individual pixels.

The calculator includes a preview section to display how the measurements will appear in the real world.

TV Distance Calc - Result Preview

TV Distance Calculator

TV Distance Calculator App

About this app

TV Distance Calculator is an application that helps you quickly and easily determine a perfect viewing distance for your TV based on its screen size and resolution.

App availability

You can use the calculator for free as a PWA web app online or install it locally on any modern operating system, including Android, iOS, Windows 11/10, and macOS.

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