TV Size to Distance Calculator: How to Find the Perfect Size TV
When it comes to buying a new TV, many people are unsure what size TV to go for. Do you really need a massive screen the size of your wall or is a small one sufficient for a cinematic experience? And should you opt for a TV with 4K UHD resolution or go with 1080p instead?
The right size doesn’t only depend on your personal preferences but can actually be determined based on factors such as viewing distance, TV resolution and, of course, budget. Once you take all these elements into account, finding the perfect size TV should be straightforward.
So, to help you find the ideal size TV for your home, we’ve put together this simple guide.
How to Measure a TV?
Before we dig a little deeper, let’s clear up the basics. What does screen size actually refer to?
A TVs screen size, such as 65", refers to the diagonal length of the screen without bezels. However, the actual size might differ depending on the model. To measure this, extend a measuring tape from the bottom left to the upper right corner of your screen. As you might have noticed, screen size doesn’t say much about the TVs actual dimensions. To accurately measure the size of a TV, you should also take into account its height, width and depth.
The bezels of most Panasonic 4K UHD models are very slim, meaning that screen size is a good indicator for the actual size of the TV. The Panasonic TX-65JZ1000B 4K OLED Smart TV for instance has a screen diagonal of 65" and comes at a height of 895mm, a width of 1448mm and a depth of 348mm, which is much smaller than comparable 65" models.
TV Viewing Distance Calculator
It should be no surprise that viewing distance is one of the primary factors when it comes to choosing the right size screen. As a rule of thumb, the further the viewing distance, the bigger your screen size should be.
But this is only one part of the equation. The right TV size also depends on the resolution of your TV screen. A 4K UHD resolution comes at 3840 × 2160 pixels (in comparison to 1920×1080 for Full HD).
Therefore, you can sit much closer to a 65" JZ1500 4K OLED TV screen without recognizing single pixels in comparison to Full HD models of the same size.
1080p Full HD
The perfect viewing distance for a 1080p Full HD resolution TV is roughly 1.5 to 2.5 times the screen size.
- 40’’: The optimal screen distance lies between 5 and 8.5 feet.
- 50’’: The optimal screen distance lies between 6.5 and 10.5 feet.
- 60’’: The optimal screen distance lies between 7.5 and 12.5 feet.
- 70’’: The optimal screen distance lies between 9 and 14.5 feet.
- 80’’: The optimal screen distance lies between 10 and 16.5 feet.
4K Ultra HD
Since a 4K Ultra HD TV has more pixels than a 1080p Full HD screen, you can sit closer to get fully immersed without recognizing any pixels. Therefore, the perfect viewing distance for 4K UHD TV screens is roughly 1 to 1.5 times the screen size.
- 40’’: The optimal screen distance lies between 3.5 and 5 feet.
- 50’’: The optimal screen distance lies between 4 and 6.5 feet.
- 60’’: The optimal screen distance lies between 5 and 7.5 feet.
- 70’’: The optimal screen distance lies between 6 and 9 feet.
- 80’’: The optimal screen distance lies between 6.5 and 10 feet.
Note: The numbers are rough estimates and vary depending on the source.
What Resolution Should You Choose?
By looking at the distance calculator you might ask yourself whether 4K UHD resolution is worth the premium price. Here, another rule of thumb comes into play: The bigger the display, the more you need a higher resolution to get fully immersed.
A 4K UHD screen is 3,840 pixels wide and 2,160 pixels high, which translates to roughly 8,3 million pixels on your display. If you buy a bigger screen, each individual pixel will be larger in comparison to small 4K screens. Therefore, a 4K UHD television is definitely worth it when it comes to larger displays.
Further, 4K UHD televisions have become the gold standard for home theatres. 4K will certainly be around for many years to come, while 1080p is becoming somewhat outdated. At this stage, an 8K TV is not recommended, since you have to pay a very high premium for a technology which is not fully supported yet.
Your Budget as the Final Indicator
Ultimately, it all comes down to budget as with most things. And as we all know, the price of a TV generally tends to increase with its size. If you sit around 9 feet away from your TV, you need a pretty large TV screen to fully appreciate the 4K UHD resolution.
Our recommendation is to buy a 4K UHD TV at the screen size that best suits your budget. 4K UHD has been on the market for a couple of years now, which means prices are more affordable than they used to be, and almost all movies and streaming services are already available in 4K, which makes 4K UHD TVs the most attractive option.
You can already see this trend in our new flagship TVs. Panasonic 4K UHD TVs offer crystal clear images even at close viewing distances and deliver the best price-performance ratio to turn your living room into a fully immersive home theatre.
Featured Products
TX-65HZ1500B
TX-65HX940B
TX-58HX800B
SC-HTB600
SC-DM502
SC-TMAX5