TV Viewing Distance Calculator

About this calculator

Recommended TV viewing distance is derived from the field-of-view guidelines used by organizations like SMPTE and THX, which relate screen diagonal to how close you can sit before individual pixels become visible or the image feels overwhelming. For 1080p content, the common recommendation is roughly 1.5 to 2 times the screen diagonal, since lower pixel density means pixels become visible at closer ranges; for 4K, the higher pixel density allows sitting as close as roughly 1 to 1.5 times the diagonal while still seeing a smooth, detailed image.

Home theater enthusiasts and interior designers use this to decide seating layout relative to screen size before mounting a TV, electronics retailers and product reviewers use it to advise customers on the right screen size for a given room, and anyone shopping for a new TV uses it to avoid buying a screen too large or too small for their couch distance.