How to choose the right TV screen size for your room

When I was growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, if you owned one of those 27” CRT TVs (the heavy ones with a box at the back), you were at least in the middle class because the TV screen size of 27” was already considered too wide.

However, if you have a 27” TV screen today, it doesn’t seem large enough and may even be ridiculed because there are now TVs with 50”, 60”, 70”, and even 80+ inches of screen. Some are even looking closer to being your mini theater.

However, the bigger doesn’t always mean the better when it comes to TVs. Sometimes, people buy large TVs that are too big for their small living rooms or studio apartments, which is inappropriate because they will cause strain in the eyes and neck.

So, how do we choose the right TV size for your room? And how can we decide where to place your TV?

What happens if you buy the wrong TV size?

When buying a new TV, there are many things you should consider. You need to check if the TV screen size is appropriate for your room—not too small but also not too big. The screen size must also match your preferred viewing distance and angle, as well as the TV resolution.

Buying a suitable TV size for your living room or bedroom will help you have a better viewing experience. You wouldn’t want a TV that is too small in a large room because watching shows will not be a pleasant experience, especially if you have friends and family over. On the other hand, you also wouldn’t want a big TV in a small room because it may cause your eye fatigue and headaches.

You must also consider the types of shows you want to watch on your new TV screen. There are also newer TV updates in the screen resolution and type of inputs. However, as the TV size increases, you should also prepare for the hefty price.

How to measure a TV Screen

When looking at TV screen sizes, like 55”, 65”, or 75”, those numbers do not refer to the length or width of the TV screen but the diagonal or the distance between the opposite corners of the TV screen.

Don’t worry. You don’t need to solve the diagonals using the Pythagorean Theorem by dividing the TV screen into two triangles. Just get your handy measuring tape, or just look at the screen size in the specifications.

You can check the TV size by measuring the distance between one corner of the TV screen and the other in inches (not centimeters). For instance, you can start from the upper left-hand corner of the TV screen to the lower right-hand corner, like the one below:

Typical flat-screen TVs today start as small as 24”, which is almost the same size as a computer monitor and will be less enjoyable to watch. You can also see various TV screen sizes per brand, but the common sizes are 43”, 50”, 55”, and 65”. But if you want larger screens, there are also 75”, 85”, and even bigger.

How to choose the TV screen resolution

We’re way past the NTSC resolutions of the decades-old analog TVs with CRT. Today, we’re mostly choosing among different screen resolutions of flat-screen TVs, particularly the Full HD (1080p), 4K UHD, and the 8K UHD. The TV’s screen resolution determines the number of pixels on your screen, resulting in better quality.

As a rule of thumb, as your TV size gets bigger, you should also get a higher resolution so the shows and images you’re watching will not be distorted, and you will have a better viewing experience.

1. Full HD (1080p)

1080p is also known as Full HD with 1920 (horizontal) and 1080 (vertical) pixels. This is one of the most common screen resolutions for TV. By default, when you see an “HD” sign on a video you’re watching, it means it has a Full HD or 1080p resolution. While HD or 720p are still being sold, I recommend to get at least 1080p for better picture quality.

2. 4K UHD (2160p)

4K resolution is a higher-tier high-definition display with 3840 x 2160 pixels, which is four times as many pixels as the 1080p display. This screen resolution is already capable of displaying great quality images and videos and even seeing the pimple marks of your favorite actors or actresses. There are also a growing number of shows and streaming sites that offer 4K resolution, including YouTube.

Most smart TVs sold nowadays come with 4K resolution, which is currently the ideal resolution. If you can, I highly recommend 4K UHD TVs because the cost is worth it.

3. 8K UHD

8K resolution is the current highest screen resolution you can get in the market. It has 7680 x 4320 pixels, four times as many pixels as the 4K, and an incredible sixteen times as many as the regular Full HD display.

Despite having the best possible resolution, some tech websites still don’t recommend an 8K TV for now because you won’t find a lot of 8K shows for now. However, some 8K UHD TV companies claim to have upscaling capabilities that can take a 4K or lower display into a full 8K experience.

How to calculate the viewing distance and screen size

Before you choose the TV size you want to buy, you must decide first which room you will put the TV in because size is an important consideration. Remember, you wouldn’t want a TV that is too small or too big, regardless of whether you have the budget to pay for it.

When choosing the TV type for your home, different organizations offer different formulas for the screen size, depending on your viewing angle. However, for the sake of information, we’ll use the THX’s 40-degree viewing angle of your field of view as our default.

To determine the suitable viewing distance for a TV size (in inches), we’ll use a simple formula to avoid reviewing your high school trigonometry.

To get the viewing distance in inches, multiply the TV screen size by 1.2. To convert it to feet, divide it by 12.

For example, if you want to buy a 60” TV, multiply it by 1.2, and you’ll get 72” or 6 feet. This also goes to other TV sizes. Here’s a sample table of the ideal viewing distance for some of the common screen sizes.

Screen Size (diagonal)	Viewing Distance
32 inches	38.4” (3.2 feet)
43 inches	51.6” (4.3 feet)
50 inches	60” (5.0 feet)
55 inches	66” (5.5 feet)
60 inches	72” (6.0 feet)
65 inches	78” (6.5 feet)
70 inches	84” (7.0 feet)
75 inches	90” (7.5 feet)

On the other hand, if you only have a small space in your apartment, you can change the formula to compute the appropriate screen size.

Instead of multiplying the screen size by 1.2, you can divide your available viewing distance (in inches) by 1.2 to get the TV screen size ideal for your small space. Then, round it off to the nearest TV screen size available.

For example, if your available space in your apartment is 45”, dividing it by 1.2 will give you 37.5”. However, if that’s not an available screen size, you can choose a 35 or 40-inch screen.

Note: There are also other computations used to measure the viewing distance based on your TV’s screen size. There is x2.5 (for a 20-degree viewing angle) and x1.6 (for a 30-degree viewing angle). Manufacturers, retailers, and publications also have different criteria.

How do you decide on the size of the TV?

Besides calculating the distance from the TV to your seat based on the screen size, the height of the screen is also important. Similar to why we need our eyes on the same level as our laptop monitor, our TV screens also need to be installed or placed at a specific height for optimal viewing experience.

According to THX, your line of sight should ideally be within the center of the screen. Specifically, the TV should be placed 15 degrees or less above or below.

This means that after measuring your TV size, you should also consider looking for a TV wall mount that will fit perfectly to the optimal height of your seat. You can also look for an adjustable TV stand.

Some sources recommend placing your TV one meter (3.28 feet) from the ground if you’re watching from the sofa or chair. However, it can be as high as 1.8m (5.9 feet) if you’re watching from a recliner or lying on your bed.

Buying a TV for your room is not a simple decision based on whether you have the money to pay for it or not. The most important consideration is where you’ll put it and whether it fits the room because when it comes to TVs, size matters.

Have you experienced buying a TV that is too small or too large for your room? Please share your experience with us in the comments.