The most accurate way to select the RIGHT TV SIZE for you is through the VIEWING DISTANCE between your TV LOCATION and your SEATING LOCATION.
This is because each TV size requires us to maintain a
certain viewing distance to get full advantage of TV resolution and enjoy the
best results. We call this the ideal viewing distance.
Ideal viewing distance is dictated by the limitations of our
visual system. Our eyes have a limited field of view and visual acuity.
TV Size calculator is largely based on
ideal viewing distances.
Maintaining Ideal Viewing Distance is important due to 3
reasons.
- To
Avoid the Screen Door Effect
- To
Get Full Advantage of Resolution
- To
Get an Immersive Experience
When it comes to finding the ideal viewing distance for a TV
size, organizations like the Society of Motion Picture Engineering (SMPTE), THX
and TV manufacturers like Samsung, Sony and Panasonic have made it easy.
To avoid confusion, we will be only using 3 different
viewing distances standards for our TV size calculator that are widely used all
over the world. We have also listed when you should select which standard.
1- SMPTE Recommends 30-Degree Field of View
SMPTE recommends a viewing distance where the TV screen
fills your 30-degree field of view.
SMPTE 30 Degree field of view is the most widely adopted all
over the world. Please keep in mind 30 FOV viewing distance was originally
recommended for 1080p resolution, but later, it got adopted for 4k TVs as
well.
We recommend this viewing distance for both FHD TVs
(1080p) and UHD (4K) TVs for casual and mixed TV usage in living rooms and
bedrooms. You can go this distance with confidence.
We can easily calculate the Viewing distance by following
the formula.
TV Viewing Distance (inches) = TV Size (Diagonal
Inches) x 1.6235
If we know the available viewing distance, we can calculate
the TV size for our room from the above formula as follows.
TV Size (inches) = TV Viewing Distance/ 1.6235
2- 32-degree Field of View
Panasonic and many other manufacturers recommend a 32-degree
field of view distance, and it is also one of the most adopted Viewing
distances. The 32-degree field of view was also originally for 1080p
resolution, but now it is adopted for 4k as well.
We recommend this distance for mixed usage in living
rooms and bedrooms for both 1080p and 4k TVs.
We can easily calculate this distance by following the
formula:
TV Viewing Distance (inches) = TV Size (Diagonal
Inches) x 1.5
If we know the available viewing distance, we can calculate
the TV size for our room from the above formula as follows.
TV Size (inches) = TV Viewing Distance/ 1.5
3-THX Viewing Distance 40 Degree Field of View
THX is an audio-visual standard organization that publishes
standards for Movie Theater Designs, Home Theater, Speakers and video
games.
THX 40 Degree Field of View is the latest recommendation
from THX and Samsung for 4k TVs. Please note this is the most up-to-date
recommendation for 4k TVs, and we can verify it from Samsung and THX websites.
You can use this distance for all types of usage.
We recommend THX 40 Degree field of view for home theater
setup or getting an immersive movie-watching experience; THX recommended
viewing distance is the best.
We can easily cross-verify it from the THX website. Now
Samsung has also adopted this Viewing Distance for its 4K TVs. While
previously, Samsung recommended other distances.
So, the latest viewing distance recommendation for 4k TV
is based on THX 40 Degree FOV.
We can easily calculate this distance by following the
formula:
TV Viewing Distance (inches) = TV Size (Diagonal
Inches) x 1.2
If we know the available viewing distance, we can calculate
the TV size for our room from the above formula as follows.
Or TV Size (inches) = TV Viewing Distance/ 1.2
Key Factors For Determining the Right TV Size For Your Room
Here are the 4 factors that will affect the TV size
selection for your room. We have considered all these factors while creating a TV
Size calculator.
1-Optimal TV Viewing Distance
You need to maintain optimal viewing distance from your TV
to get the best viewing experience as recommended by SMPTE, THX and
other organizations. Please note that various organizations recommend slightly
different viewing distances based on their recommended FOV.
The viewing distance also affects immersion. The closer you sit to the TV, the more immersive the experience you get. Since THX recommends a shorter viewing distance, THX distance will give you the most immersive experience.
2- Room Layout and Furniture Placement
Your room layout and furniture placement will determine what
TV size your room can accommodate. If your room is square, you can plan your
furniture placement in any order, and there won’t be an impact on TV
Size.
But if your room size is rectangular, like 12×18, you can go for larger TV sizes if you plan your TV on a 12 feet wall. This way, you have more distance available between your TV and the couch. Larger the viewing distance, the larger the TV size you can go for.
3- TV Resolution
TVs come in resolutions like 720p (HD), 1080p (FHD) and 4k
(UHD). But these days, 4K resolution is almost the standard. Higher-resolution
TVs have more detailed, crisp and better image quality. Since higher
resolutions have more pixel density per inch (PPI), you can watch it from
sitting relatively closer without seeing the screen door effect.
If you go with higher resolution TVs, you get two
advantages:
- Better
Image Quality
- Smaller
viewing distance
- Allow
you to buy larger TVs
- Allows
You to get immersive experience
That’s the reason our TV Size calculator takes into account
resolution and gives you tailored answers for each resolution.
4- Available TV Sizes on The Market
TVs don’t come in all sizes. They mostly come in 32, 43, 50,
55, 65, 75, 77, 80, 83 and 85 inches. Now if you have a viewing distance for
which the recommended TV size is not available, we recommend you select the
closest available TV size on the market. And then maintain the viewing distance
recommended for your TV size to get the best viewing experience.
Our viewing distance calculator also takes into account
available TV sizes on the market.