TV size and viewing distance calculator
One measurement decides the screen size: how far back you sit. Enter it and get the relaxed size, the immersive maximum and the bracket whatever you buy will need.
Screen size follows from seating distance, expressed as how much of your vision the picture fills. A 30° viewing angle is the relaxed setting for mixed viewing, 40° is the cinema-immersive maximum, and about 36° is the all-round middle. At a typical 10 ft that is a 75" screen at the relaxed end, around 90" balanced and 100" at the immersive maximum — bigger than most people guess.
TV size by viewing distance
Find your seating distance and read across. Most rooms suit the balanced column; go immersive if the room is mostly for films and games.
| You sit | Relaxed (30°) | Balanced (36°) | Immersive (40°) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft | 32" | 43" | 50" |
| 6 ft | 43" | 55" | 65" |
| 7 ft | 50" | 65" | 70" |
| 8 ft | 55" | 70" | 83" |
| 9 ft | 65" | 83" | 90" |
| 10 ft | 75" | 90" | 100" |
| 12 ft | 90" | 100" | 100" |
| 14 ft | 100" | 100" | 100" |
| 16 ft | 100" | 100" | 100" |
Or start from the TV you want
Already picked a size? This is the distance it wants, plus the two numbers that matter once it is on the wall: how wide it is and what it weighs.
| Screen size | Screen width | Typical weight | Comfortable range | At 10 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43" | 37" | 20 lb | 4.3–5.8 ft | 18° |
| 55" | 48" | 33 lb | 5.5–7.5 ft | 23° |
| 65" | 57" | 47 lb | 6.5–8.8 ft | 27° |
| 75" | 65" | 62 lb | 7.5–10.2 ft | 30° |
| 85" | 74" | 92 lb | 8.5–11.5 ft | 34° |
| 98" | 85" | 155 lb | 9.8–13.3 ft | 39° |
The weight column is the one that catches people out. An 85" panel weighs around 92 lb on its own, and that is the number the bracket has to be rated above. Plenty of mounts sold as "fits up to 85 inches" are rated well below it.
Why viewing angle, not a multiplier
Older advice said to sit 1.5, 2 or 2.5 times the screen size away, depending on who you asked. Those rules were really about resolution: sit too close to a 1080p panel and you see the pixels. On a 4K screen that limit has moved past any sensible seat, so it no longer decides anything.
What still decides is field of view — how much of your vision the picture takes up. SMPTE recommends 30° for reference viewing and THX up to 40° for the best seat in a cinema. Those two angles bracket the range worth using at home, and because they are angles they scale with any distance and any screen.
The wall constraint nobody checks
The viewing maths will happily recommend a 90" TV. Your wall may disagree: a screen wider than about 60% of the wall it hangs on reads as oversized and crowds the room, even when the distance supports it, and it leaves the mount plate nowhere to land if the studs are awkward.
Measure the wall before you order. If the recommended size does not fit, the usual fix is to move the seating back rather than squeeze in a screen the wall cannot carry visually.
Frequently asked questions
What size TV do I need for a 10-foot viewing distance?
Is a 65-inch TV too big for a small room?
How far should you sit from a 75-inch TV?
Does 4K let you sit closer to the TV?
Should I buy the biggest TV that fits?
How much does a 75-inch TV weigh?
Buying the TV? We will hang it.
Same-day mounting with the height set from your seat. Bring your own bracket or have us bring one (fixed from $39). Flat-rate pricing from $119.