HowMuchIt / TV size
What size TV should I get?
Measure from your seat to the screen. The calculator works out the largest screen that still works at that distance, from the close-seating rule of about 1.2 times the screen size.
Work out your TV size
Close seating distance in inches = screen size x about 1.2: a 55 in TV works from about 66 in (5.5 ft). Screen size is the diagonal. 4K lets you sit closer than HD before the picture looks soft.
Angles and distance
SMPTE recommends that the screen fill at least 30 degrees of your field of view; THX goes wider, about 36 degrees, for movies, which means a bigger screen or a closer seat. In practice, screen size times about 1.2 gives a close seating distance in inches: a 55 inch TV works from about 66 inches. 4K sets let you sit closer than HD ones before the picture looks soft. TV sizes are the diagonal of the screen.
Questions people ask
What size TV for 8 feet?
Up to about 80 inches by the close-seating rule.
How is TV size measured?
Diagonally, corner to corner, in inches.
Good to know
- SMPTE recommends that the screen fill at least 30 degrees of your field of view.1,2
- THX recommends a wider angle, about 36 degrees, for the best movie-watching experience, which means a bigger screen or a closer seat.2,3
- 4K (Ultra HD) TVs let you sit closer than HD sets before the picture looks soft.3,4
- Screen size times about 1.2 gives a close seating distance in inches: a 55 in TV works from about 66 in (5.5 ft).4,5
- TV screen size is the diagonal of the screen, in inches.2,3
- Work in inches: multiply a distance in feet by 12, and divide inches by 12 to get feet.2,5
How we checked this page
Checked on October 27, 2026. We kept a fact only when two independent publishers agree, and each one is numbered to its sources below. Where sources give different numbers, we keep only what they share. We never write a price. This page was written with an AI assistant and checked against the sources below.
Sources
- Viewing Distance vs. Resolution, Sound & Vision
- The Perfect TV for Your Room (Dennis Burger, 2008), Electronic House
- Maxing Out Resolution (David Ranada, 2006), Sound & Vision
- THX Home Theater Room Size Guide, THX
- Recommended Viewing Distance by Screen Size, Toshiba