RESEARCH

As a thumb rule, most architects and interior designers recommend mounting

the television at least 42 inches above the floor. This can, of course, vary depending
on the height of the seating. For instance, the correct height for TV in bedrooms will
depend on how high or low the bed is so that it is at eye level when one is sitting or
lying on the bed.
The average height of a 65-inch TV is around 32 inches, which puts the
centre of the screen 16 inches from the bottom of the TV. The average eye-level
height of an adult seated on a sofa is 24 inches. Add to this the approximate height
of the sofa from the floor – around 18 inches, and one can determine that the ideal
centre of the TV for viewing is 42 inches from the floor (24 inches + 18 inches).
Therefore, the TV should be installed with the bottom frame 26 inches off the floor
(42 inches less 16 inches).
To calculate how high your TV should be from the floor, simply measure the
height of your TV and divide it by two. Then subtract that number from 42, and that’s
how high the bottom of your TV should be from the floor. It is important to note that
television manufacturers measure a TV from one corner to another, so you shouldn’t
use your TV’s screen size to find its center point.

In terms of watching television, the field of view (FOV) is the viewing angle between
a person and the visible area of a TV screen.

Field of view angle for a TV or projector screen (not to scale)

The closer you get to the screen; the field of view gets wider – and your viewing
experience will be more immersive. However, the FOV will probably be too wide for
most people if you get too close. SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television
Engineers) also provides guidelines on the best viewing angles for watching a
screen.

Difference between a wide and narrow field of view (not to scale). So, less
than 26° will most likely be too far away for many people. And greater than 36° will
be more immersive but will get to a point where it is just too close. Also, you should
bear in mind these recommendations are for a real movie theater.
 Another point to remember is that these recommendations don’t consider
image resolution, which is something covered in more detail in a while. The
recommended distance based on the field of view will also vary depending on the
size of your screen. Fortunately, you can easily calculate the recommended viewing
distances with some math.

How far to sit from your TV depends on both its size and the type of screen
you have. If your TV is a traditional 1080p HDTV unit, the TV size distance ratio is
between around 1.5 and 2.5 times the diagonal width of the screen. This means that
if you have:
A 40’’ TV– You should sit between 5 and 8.5 feet away from the screen.
A 43’’ TV– You should sit between 5.5 and 9 feet away from the screen.
A 50’’ TV– You should sit between 6.5 and 10.5 feet away from the screen.
A 55’’ TV– You should sit between 7 and 11.5 feet away from the screen.
A 60’’ TV– You should sit between 7.5 and 12.5 feet away from the screen.
A 65’’ TV– You should sit between 8 and 13.5 feet away from the screen.
A 70’’ TV– You should sit between 9 and 14.5 feet away from the screen.
A 75’’ TV– You should sit between 9.5 and 15.5 feet away from the screen.
An 80’’ TV– You should sit between 10 and 16.5 feet away from the screen.
An 85’’ TV– You should sit between 10.5 and 17.5 feet away from the screen.
In general, the optimum viewing distance is 2.5 times the size of the TV but
bear in mind that size is calculated as the diagonal length of the screen and not the
width of the television. Nowadays, with the high definition TVs, the recommended
distance can be reduced to 1.5 times the diagonal length of the television. If you’re
shorter or taller than average, you might want to measure how high your eye level is.
Then you can use that number instead of the average eye level of 42 inches.
 It is important to note that you should only mount your TV higher than eye
level if your mount can be tilted down. Otherwise, you won’t be able to see the
screen properly.

ILLUSTRATION

65 inches

78 inches
) 40°

26 inches