Viewing Distance Calculator
How far should you sit from your TV?
Enter your TV size to get the ideal viewing distance based on THX and SMPTE standards, plus 1080p, 4K, and 8K resolution limits.
How it works
The math behind the answer
Given a screen size, there is a distance range that makes the picture feel cinematic without straining your eyes. This tool computes that range from the same viewing angle standards used in theater design: SMPTE's 30° minimum, THX's 36° recommendation, and the 40° figure widely used as the cinematic maximum.
It also calculates the distance beyond which a given resolution stops offering visible benefit. That number comes from visual acuity: a person with 20/20 vision resolves detail of about one arcminute, so past a certain distance the pixels of a 4K panel merge and it looks the same as 1080p.
Enter your actual seating distance and the tool grades your setup, so you can decide whether to move the couch or size up the screen.
Common questions
- What is the 1.5x rule for TV distance?
- A common shortcut says to sit about 1.5 times the diagonal away from a 4K TV. That works out to roughly a 33° viewing angle, which lands neatly between SMPTE and THX guidance.
- Can you sit too close to a 4K TV?
- At the 40° cinematic maximum you are about 1.2 times the diagonal away, and 4K pixels are still invisible. Closer than that, the picture starts to feel like you are scanning it rather than watching it.
- Does viewing distance matter for 8K?
- Only if you sit very close. On a 75 inch screen you would need to be within about 2.5 feet to resolve 8K over 4K. For normal seating, 8K's extra pixels are not visible.