What size TV for a living room?
Most people sit 8–12 feet from a living room TV, which makes 65″–85″ the usual sweet spot. Enter your seating distance below.
Method: Field-of-view guidelines: SMPTE's 30° minimum and THX's 40° cinema recommendation.
Measure from your eyes, when seated, to the screen.
Recommended
75″
Everyday TV and sports
Cinema feel
100″
Movies and gaming
- • At 10 ft, a 74″ screen fills 30° of your view, the SMPTE minimum for comfortable viewing.
- • For a cinema feel (THX 40°), go up to about 100″.
- • Choose a 4K TV at this size. At this distance, 1080p screens can look soft.
How TV size is calculated
Industry guidelines are based on how much of your view the screen fills. SMPTE, the film and TV engineering body, recommends a screen that fills at least 30° of your field of view. THX recommends about 40° for a cinema-like experience. This calculator converts your seating distance into a screen size for both, then rounds to the nearest size sold.
TV size by viewing distance
| Distance | Recommended | Cinema feel |
|---|---|---|
| 5 ft | 40″ | 50″ |
| 6 ft | 43″ | 65″ |
| 7 ft | 50″ | 75″ |
| 8 ft | 55″ | 83″ |
| 9 ft | 65″ | 85″ |
| 10 ft | 75″ | 100″ |
| 11 ft | 83″ | 100″+ |
| 12 ft | 85″ | 100″+ |
| 13 ft | 98″ | 100″+ |
| 14 ft | 100″ | 100″+ |
| 15 ft | 100″+ | 100″+ |
| 16 ft | 100″+ | 100″+ |
| 20 ft | 100″+ | 100″+ |
Best seating distance by TV size
| TV size | Closest seat (cinema) | Farthest seat (recommended) |
|---|---|---|
| 43″ | 4.3 ft | 5.8 ft |
| 50″ | 5 ft | 6.8 ft |
| 55″ | 5.5 ft | 7.5 ft |
| 65″ | 6.5 ft | 8.8 ft |
| 75″ | 7.5 ft | 10.2 ft |
| 85″ | 8.5 ft | 11.5 ft |
| 98″ | 9.8 ft | 13.3 ft |
More TV size guides
- 5 ft away
- 6 ft away
- 7 ft away
- 8 ft away
- 9 ft away
- 10 ft away
- 11 ft away
- 12 ft away
- 13 ft away
- 14 ft away
- 15 ft away
- 16 ft away
- 20 ft away
- bedroom
Frequently asked questions
What size TV for 10 feet away?
A 75″ TV is recommended at 10 feet. For a cinema feel, you can go up to 100″.
What size TV for 8 feet away?
A 55″ TV is recommended at 8 feet. For movies and gaming, you can go up to 83″.
Can a TV be too big for a room?
Yes. If you sit closer than the cinema distance for your screen, you'll need to move your eyes or head to see the whole picture.
Does 4K change the right TV size?
4K lets you sit closer without seeing pixels, so you can choose a bigger screen for the same distance than with 1080p.
How do I measure viewing distance?
Measure from where your eyes are when you sit in your usual seat to the front of the screen.