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TV Viewing Distance Calculator

Find the ideal distance to sit from your TV.

How it is calculated

Enter the screen diagonal in inches. The tool multiplies it by a fixed factor for each resolution and converts to centimetres: distance (cm) = diagonal × factor × 2.54. The factor is 1.5 for a 4K screen and 2.5 for a 1080p (Full HD) screen. A higher resolution lets you sit closer because the pixels are smaller and stay invisible at shorter range.

Results are rounded to whole centimetres and are measured from the screen to your eyes. They are a rule of thumb for a comfortable, immersive picture, not a standard: your eyesight, room layout, content type and personal taste can justify sitting closer or farther. The diagonal must be greater than zero. The tool does not account for screen curvature or aspect ratio.

Worked example

A 55-inch TV.

In centimetres the diagonal is 55 × 2.54 = 139.7 cm. For 4K: 55 × 1.5 × 2.54 = 209.55, shown as 210 cm. For 1080p: 55 × 2.5 × 2.54 = 349.25, shown as 349 cm. So a 4K set of this size works from about two metres, while a Full HD set of the same size needs about three and a half metres.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Entering the diagonal in centimetres. The field is in inches, so a 140 cm screen should be typed as 55, not 140.
  • Measuring the screen width or height instead of the diagonal from corner to opposite corner.
  • Using the 4K distance for a 1080p source or panel. The panel's resolution decides the row, not the label on the streaming service.
  • Measuring the distance to the wall or the sofa's back instead of to where your eyes actually are.
  • Treating the figure as a limit. It is a comfortable starting point, and a few tens of centimetres either way is normal.

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. This calculator uses a single common rule for each: about 2.5 times the screen diagonal for 1080p, since lower pixel density means pixels become visible at closer range, and about 1.5 times the diagonal for 4K, whose higher pixel density lets you sit closer and still see a smooth, detailed image. You enter the diagonal in inches and get both distances in centimetres.

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.

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