How big a TV for your room?

Measure from where your eyes will be on the couch to the wall the TV will hang on. That one number tells you more about the right screen size than any store display.

Two standards worth knowing

• SMPTE (about a 30° field of view): a comfortable, "living room" feel. Viewing distance ≈ 1.6 × the screen diagonal.
• THX (about a 40° field of view): an immersive, "theater" feel. Viewing distance ≈ 1.2 × the diagonal.

With 4K TVs you can sit closer than with older HD sets without seeing pixels, so most people today land between the two.

Quick table

Couch distance	Comfortable (SMPTE)	Immersive (THX)
6 ft	45″	60″
7 ft	52″	70″
8 ft	60″	80″
9 ft	67″	90″
10 ft	75″	100″
12 ft	90″	100″+

Seat height and room shape

The formulas assume your eyes are roughly level with the middle of the screen. Recliners and low sectionals put eyes lower, which is another reason to keep the TV from creeping up the wall. In long, narrow rooms the couch often ends up farther back than people plan for, so measure the real distance with the furniture in place rather than from the floor plan.

Practical advice

• Most people go too small, not too big. If you're between two sizes, the larger one is usually the one you won't regret.
• Wall width matters. A 75″ TV is about 65″ wide; an 85″ is about 74″. Check windows, doors and the fireplace surround.
• Height changes perceived size. A TV mounted high over a fireplace feels smaller and less comfortable than the same screen at eye level.
• Mixed seating: in open-plan rooms, measure from the seat used most and consider a full-motion arm.

Our online planner draws your TV to scale next to a 5′9″ person on your wall, which is a surprisingly good way to judge size before you buy. Try it here, or see each size's guide: 55″, 65″, 75″, 85″.