How BIG a TV should I get?

One of the key considerations in buying a television is how large the screen should be. For some, bigger is better. Perhaps you want a TV to make a statement to your friends when they come over. For others, a TV is an appliance that needs to fit well into the space, large enough to be seen without being obtrusive. Screen size is usually the primary factor in determining the price of a TV, and unless money is no object, finding the right fit will save you money or allow you to spend your money on better quality rather than excessive size.

Before you go shopping for a TV, take a moment to measure the size of the room. Measure the distance from where you’d like to place the TV to where you would be sitting. Before you buy your TV, you might want to mark its dimensions on the wall with masking tape. Cut out a piece of cardboard and tape it to the front of your current TV, or hold up a folded bed sheet to see how big you’d want a new TV to look in the same place. Get a sense of how big you want the physical dimensions of the screen to be before you make an investment.

Do the Math

The basic rule of thumb for screen size is one foot of screen width for every six feet of distance from the screen. So, let’s take a typical scenario. Most people sit about ten to twelve feet away from their TV while watching it. If you are sitting on a couch 12 feet from the television, it should be at least two feet wide (12’ distance from screen ÷ 6 = 2’ screen width). TVs are not sold by width, but by diagonal measurement. For a TV that’s 24” wide, you need a 28” TV, which is 28 inches diagonally, 24.4″ wide and 13.7″ tall.

Most people, however, will not want simply the minimum viewable size. For a TV that feels large, change the ratio to one foot width for every 4.5 feet distance (37” screen). For a TV that feels huge, change the ratio to one foot width for every 3 feet distance (55” screen). These are rough estimates, but will give you a decent sense of how large you might want your TV to be.