Your Guide to Optimal TV Viewing Distances

The optimal viewing distance between your seat and your TV screen is very important as it plays a large role in your overall viewing and immersion experience. Several factors need to be taken into consideration, such as the TV’s resolution and screen size.

How far should I sit from the screen?

Achieving the ideal distance between you and the screen is a balancing act. Too close, and you’ll see a pixelated screen, too far, and you’ll miss out on the details and the action. The larger your screen, the further back you’ll need to sit and the harder it will be for your TV’s pixels to remain smooth. Larger screens will perform much better when they have higher resolution, ideally 4K Ultra HD and above. Smaller screens may not require as high a resolution.

What’s the best TV viewing distance?

A formula has been developed to provide a guideline to suggest how far away you should be seated from your TV for optimal viewing. The recommendation is to divide the size of your screen (diagonally, in inches) by 0.84 to give you the distance in inches you should sit from your screen. This suggests, for example, that for a 55” TV screen, you should try to sit 65 inches away (1.65m).

TV viewing distance formula

TV viewing distance: a guide

All figures are approximate. It should be noted that this recommendation is designed with the intention to recreate an immersive cinematic experience as close as possible. You may feel more comfortable a few inches further back of these figures. Nevertheless, it provides a useful guide when you’re next setting up to watch the latest movies and other visual content on your TV.

Consider Viewing Angles

A wide viewing angle or looking too far downwards or upwards at the screen can be detrimental to your perceived picture quality. For the best quality viewing, you should be seated straight-on to your TV, with the screen either at eye level or slightly below eye level. You may wish to use a TV stand or opt for your TV to be wall mounted. As modern TVs become increasingly thin and lightweight, wall mounting allows you to position your TV where you want it, all the while saving space, and creating a sleek look.

Find Your Ideal TV

Equipped with optimal TV viewing distances, now’s the best time to find your perfect TV! Select from many sizes and models across popular TV brands like Samsung, LG, Hisense, TCL and ChiQ. View a wide range of TVs, read reviews, watch video content, compare and more below!

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FAQs

1. What is the best TV viewing distance?
   
   The best TV viewing distance is determined by your screen’s size (in inches). To best calculate the TV viewing distance, you can divide the size of your screen (diagonally, in inches) by 0.84 to give you the distance in inches you should sit from your screen.
   
2. How high should the TV be from the eyes?
   
   For best viewing quality without distortion, the TV should be straight on or eye level. Slightly below eye level is also acceptable for optimal viewing.
   
3. How far should I sit from a 65” TV?
   
   For a 65” TV, the best TV viewing distance is approximately 2m away.
   
4. How far should I sit from a 55” TV?
   
   For a 55” TV, the best TV viewing distance is approximately 1.6m away.
   
5. What TV size should I buy?
   
   This depends on your personal preferences, lifestyle, budget and space. With many TVs available in a range of sizes from 32” to 100”, there’s one to suit your requirements. The TV and room size should also be considered to ensure optimal viewing distances are met, for example large TV 65”+ will require at least 2m viewing distance. View our TV AV buying guide to find best TV size recommendations.