Recommended screen size by distance
Find the ideal TV screen size for your viewing distance, or the reverse: the ideal distance for a screen you've already chosen. Based on the field-of-view angle guidelines used in home theater, calculated right in your browser.
How it works
The ideal screen size depends directly on how far away you watch it and on the level of immersion you want: a home theater screen aims for a wide field-of-view angle for an immersive experience, while a desk monitor stays smaller and closer for comfortable long-term use. The tool relies on recommended viewing angle ranges, a common home theater reference (close to THX/SMPTE recommendations), to calculate the right size or distance.
Why can a gaming screen be closer than a movie screen?
For gaming, a larger share of the field of view is meant to be filled by the screen to boost immersion and perceived responsiveness, which calls for a wider viewing angle and therefore a relatively larger or closer screen for the same size. Prolonged visual comfort (eye strain) is still worth watching during long sessions at very close range.
Does this recommendation apply to all screen formats?
The calculation assumes a standard 16:9 aspect ratio, the most common for TVs and most monitors. For an ultrawide screen (21:9) or another format, the actual width differs slightly for the same diagonal, which can shift the ideal distance a little from the result given here.
This geometric calculation runs only in your browser, with no data sent to a server.