Optimal Viewing Distance To Your TV
The optimal viewing distance between your couch and your screen is very important as it plays a large role in your overall viewing and immersion experience. Several factors need to be taken into consideration, such as TV resolution and screen size.
How far you should sit from your screen is a balancing act. Too close, and you’ll see a pixelated screen, too far, and you’ll miss out on the details and the action. The larger your screen, the further back you’ll need to sit and the harder it will be for your TV’s pixels to remain smooth. Larger screens will perform much better when they have higher resolution, ideally Ultra HD. Smaller screens may not require as high resolution.
A formula has been developed to provide a guideline to suggest how far away from your HDTV you should be seated for optimal viewing. The recommendation is to divide the size of your screen (diagonally, in inches) by 0.84 to give you the distance in inches you should sit from you screen. This suggests, for example, that for a 55” screen, you should try to sit 65 inches away (1.65 meters).
SIZE SEAT DISTANCE
32” – 97cm
43” – 1.3m
49” – 1.5m
55” – 1.65m
60” – 1.8m
65” – 2m
70” – 2.1m
Figures are approximate. It should be noted that this recommendation is designed with the intention to recreate an immersive cinematic experience as close as possible. You may feel more comfortable a few inches further back of these figures. Nevertheless, it provides a useful guideline when you’re next setting up to watch the latest action movie.
You should also take into account viewing angles. A wide viewing angle, or looking too far downwards or upwards at the screen can be detrimental to your perceived picture quality. For the best quality viewing you should ideally be seated straight-on to your TV, with the screen either at eye level or slightly below eye level. You may wish to utilise a TV stand, or opt for your TV to be wall mounted. As modern TVs become increasingly thin and light, wall mounting is now easier than ever and allows you to position your TV exactly where you want it, saves space, and creates a sleek look.
