TV Viewing Distance Calculator
Ideal seating distance for a screen size, based on the horizontal angle it fills.
Results
Viewing distance
2.27
m
Screen width
121.8
cm
Screen height
68.5
cm
Viewing distance
1.67
m
What this tool does
Screens are sold by diagonal but what your eyes respond to is the width and the angle it subtends. Thirty degrees is a common recommendation for mixed viewing and forty degrees is the cinema reference — the second distance shows what that closer, more immersive option would mean for the same screen.
Formula
distance = screen width ÷ (2 × tan(angle ÷ 2))
Variables
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
sz | Screen diagonal | in |
ar | Aspect ratio (width) | — |
ah | Aspect ratio (height) | — |
an | Horizontal viewing angle | ° |
D | Viewing distance | m |
SW | Screen width | cm |
SH | Screen height | cm |
D40 | Viewing distance | m |
Worked example
- Screen diagonal55 in
- Aspect ratio (width)16
- Aspect ratio (height)9
- Horizontal viewing angle30 °
- Viewing distance2.27 m
- Screen width121.8 cm
- Screen height68.5 cm
- Viewing distance1.67 m
Limitations
- The result is an estimate based only on the values you type. Real situations often include factors this calculator does not know about.
- The default values are typical reference figures, not measurements of your situation. Replace them with your own data whenever you have it.