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TV viewing distance chart
Measure from your eyes to the screen. The SMPTE size fills 30° of your view (relaxed); the THX size fills 40° (cinema-like). Anything between the two works.
| Seating distance | SMPTE (30°) | THX (40°) | Common size to look at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 ft | 30" | 40" | 36" TV |
| 5 ft | 37" | 50" | 43" TV |
| 6 ft | 44" | 60" | 50" TV |
| 7 ft | 52" | 70" | 60" TV |
| 8 ft | 59" | 80" | 70" TV |
| 9 ft | 66" | 90" | 77" TV |
| 10 ft | 74" | 100" | 86" TV |
| 11 ft | 81" | 110" | 98" TV |
| 12 ft | 89" | 120" | 100" TV |
| 13 ft | 96" | 130" | 100" TV |
| 14 ft | 103" | 140" | 100" TV |
| 15 ft | 111" | 150" | 100" TV |
Does 4K change the distance?
With 20/20 vision you stop seeing individual pixels once one pixel covers less than 1 arcminute. For a 4K TV that happens at roughly 0.8× the diagonal (a 65" 4K TV: about 4 ft 3 in); for 1080p at about 1.6× (8 ft 5 in for a 65"). Sit further than the 1080p distance and 4K looks no sharper than Full HD, which is why bigger screens make more sense with 4K.
Questions
What size TV should I get for 8 feet?
At 8 ft, a screen of about 59" meets the SMPTE 30° guideline and about 80" meets the THX 40° guideline.
What size TV for 10 feet away?
About 74" (SMPTE) to 100" (THX).