TV Size Guide: What Size TV Do I Need?

TVs are a mainstay in our homes and you may have more than one. In fact, it’s quite common today to have them in our bedrooms and kitchens, as well as in our living rooms. But, to make sure you have the best viewing experience possible, sizing is everything. That’s why we’ve put together a handy size guide to help you choose the best TV for the space available.

The size of a TV is determined by its diagonal length, measured from corner to corner. It’s worth remembering that the screen size doesn’t include the borders – or bezels – of the TV, so you should also take note of the total width, height and depth of a particular model. This information can be found in the product specs; you’ll need to compare these measurements against the space that’s available before making a purchase.

At LG, we have a number of TVs to choose from, with screen sizes ranging from 32” to upwards of 75”. When you browse our selection of large screen TVs, you’ll find models with 75”, 77”, 83” and 86” screens. These provide an immersive viewing experience, and they make great primary TVs for your home.

It’s likely that you’ll want a different size screen for certain rooms in the house. With this in mind, the below guide should help you to decide which models are best suited to your needs, depending on where you plan to put your new TV.

Generally speaking, our smaller TVs are ideal for bedrooms, kitchens and more compact living rooms or conservatories. Although they have smaller screens, these TVs still pack a punch when it comes to great viewing, but they won’t take up as much space if this is at a premium.

These TVs are larger, so they’re great for anyone who wants an immersive viewing or gaming experience. They’re a sound option for most living rooms, and they’ll still provide a good overall viewing experience in medium- to large-sized living rooms, too. If you’re looking for a bigger TV for a bedroom – particularly if it’s a master bedroom – our 50” or 55” TVs may be suitable.

These TVs are bigger still, so they’re suited to medium or large living rooms. You’ll love our large screen TVs if you’re into movies, sports or gaming.

Our largest TVs are great for big living rooms or cinema rooms. Offering an enhanced viewing experience, these TVs are perfect for bringing the entertainment home – whether you’re binge-watching your favourite box set or kicking back to catch the game.

When it comes to choosing the right size TV for a room, viewing distance should be a key consideration. Generally speaking, the larger the TV, the further you should sit from it – or, to put it another way, the bigger the viewing distance.

If you get a TV that’s too big for a particular space, you won’t be able to take everything in. Conversely, if you choose something that’s too small for a room, you won’t have an immersive viewing experience.

The SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) recommends that you sit at a distance where the screen fills 30° of your field of vision. This means that your viewing distance should be 1.2-1.6 times the screen’s diagonal measurement. For example, if you have a 75” TV, the minimum viewing distance would be 90” (or 2.28 metres).

We have used this SMPTE recommendation to calculate the recommended viewing distance for different screen sizes, as shown in the table below:

 

 

Screen Size	Recommended Viewing Distance (Inches)	Recommended Viewing Distance (Metres)
42”	67.2”	1.70m
43”	68.8”	1.74m
48”	76.8”	1.95m
50”	80”	2.03m
55”	88”	2.35m
65”	104”	2.64m
75”	120”	3.04m
77”	123.3”	3.12m
83”	132.8”	3.37m
86”	137.6”	3.49m

 

These recommendations have been made on the assumption that someone is facing a TV at eye level, so they should be used for guidance only. If your TV is wall-mounted, for example, you may find that the distances outlined above do not provide you with an optimal viewing experience.

There are a few more things you should bear in mind when searching for the perfect size TV for your home, which we’ve covered below.

As a rule of thumb, the larger the screen size, the higher the resolution should be. You’ll need to sit further back if you choose a TV with a lower resolution, otherwise the image may appear pixelated. High-resolution TVs – like 4K and 8K models – provide crystal-clear images, and you can usually get away with sitting closer to these without it affecting the picture quality.

You’ll need to think about where you plan on placing your TV, as this may affect which size you should choose.

If you’ll be putting your TV on a stand or media unit, for example, it will shorten the viewing distance (you can use the table above as a guide). If, however, you want to mount your TV on a wall, the viewing distance will be longer; you’ll also need to consider the weight of the model you choose in this instance, and make sure your walls are suitable for this. For the most part, this shouldn’t be an issue. In fact, we’ve got ultra-slim TVs in store that are designed to sit flush against the wall.

Whether you’re a film fanatic, a die-hard gamer or a sports lover, finding the perfect size TV for your home can really enhance your viewing experience. Explore our online store to discover a wide range of TVs for any room, including high-resolution UHD, NanoCell OLED and OLED evo models.