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TV Viewing Distance Calculator
Find how far to sit from your TV for the best picture.
Viewing distance
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Recommended.
| Immersive (mixed) | — |
|---|---|
| Comfortable | — |
| 4K minimum | — |
| Screen | — |
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Enter your figures above to see the step-by-step working.
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How the TV Viewing Distance Calculator Works
The right distance from a TV depends on its size and how immersive you want the picture. A common guide: sit about 1.2 times the diagonal (in inches) away for an immersive, cinema-like 40° field of view, out to about 1.6 times for a relaxed 30° view. For a 55-inch TV that’s roughly 5.5 to 7.3 feet.
With a 4K screen you can sit closer without seeing pixels, since the extra resolution hides them — roughly the diagonal itself, in inches, as a minimum distance in feet divided by 12.
distance ≈ diagonal × 1.2 to 1.6 (inches), then convert to feet
Frequently Asked Questions
How far should I sit from a 55 inch TV?
Roughly 5.5 to 7.3 feet — closer for a more immersive picture, farther for a relaxed view.
Can I sit closer to a 4K TV?
Yes. The higher resolution hides individual pixels, so you can sit about as close as the diagonal in inches, read as feet ÷ 12.
What viewing angle is best?
THX suggests around 40° for immersion; SMPTE recommends about 30° for comfort. This gives the range between them.
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