It’s a staple feature in most households.
But it turns out your television is probably in the wrong place.
Many of us simply plonk our TV on the mantlepiece, or in a convenient corner of the living room.
But according to researchers at consumer champion Which?, there’s actually a ‘sweet spot’ where your TV should go, depending on how big it is.
If you don’t hit this sweet spot, you risk a suboptimal viewing experience.
‘Sitting too close to a TV that’s too big means you can’t take it all in, you’re moving your head to see the edges and corners,’ said Martin Pratt, Which? researcher.
‘You can’t take in the full majesty of a sweeping panorama or extreme close up of an actors eyes if you can’t see the whole screen at once.’
So are you watching your TV all wrong? Find out below.
According to experts at Which?, there’s a ‘sweet spot’ where people should be sitting from their TV, dependent on screen size (file photo)
As part of Which’s research, the consumer champion recruited people of different ages to watch different–sized TV sets in its labs.
For each TV size, participants moved around until they were full satisfied that the TV picture was perfect and then gave their feedback.
Based on their results, Which? experts identified the best viewing distance for each screen size.
If you have a 32–inch TV, you should be sitting seven feet (two metres) from the device, while if it’s a 40–43–inch TV, you should be eight feet (2.5 metres) away.
If your TV measures 48–50–inches, it should be nine to 10 feet (2.7 to three metres) from you, and if it’s 55–inch, it should be 11 to 12 feet (3.4 to 3.7 metres) away.
And finally, if it’s a whopping 65–inch TV, it should be 13 feet (four metres) away.
For reference, the average TV screen size is about 55 inches diagonally or 4.5 feet – which is about the size as Danny DeVito.
At the top end of the scale are high–end devices like the world’s largest OLED TV from Korean firm LG, which is 97 inches diagonally.
LG’s OLED evo Gallery Edition TV is the world’s largest OLED TV, at 97 inches diagonally. The average TV screen size is around 55 inches
If you have a 32–inch TV, you should be sitting seven feet (two metres) from the device, while if it’s a 40–43–inch TV, you should be eight feet (2.5 metres) away
Which? experts also asked more than 1,200 people how far they sit from the TV at home relative to their screen size.
They found two thirds don’t have the TV in the optimum position in the room – likely equating to more than 10 million homeowners nationwide.
To find out for yourself, measure your TV screen from one corner (not including bezels) diagonally to the other.
Additionally, measure the distance from where you sit to the TV using a tape measure.
If the distance of your seat isn’t quite right relative to the screen size, experts advise you to make a quick adjustment to your living arrangement.
For example, if you have a 42–inch TV screen but you’re sitting just five feet away from it, your sofa needs to be pushed back.
If this isn’t possible, your TV needs to be somehow repositioned so that there’s a much greater distance between the two.
Alternatively, if your TV is small, you might have to move your chair forward in order to hit the ‘sweet spot’.
Even if you’re out by just a few inches then consider moving your TV forward or back a bit, according to Pratt.
‘It may seem like a small change, but it can have a big benefit as you start to notice a bit more detail, or get more immersed in the entire experience rather than just parts of it,’ he said.
In terms of the TV angle, the screen should always be facing towards ‘where most people sit in your room’.
If any viewers are sitting at too sharp an angle, the screen can look ‘washed out and faded’ due to how displays emit light.
Of course, many households have more than one person watching the TV at a time – but the research helps family members work out the best position to try and bag.
Also, the expert admits that most people also aren’t prepared to move furniture, but the research can help people make the right decision when buying their next TV.
‘When shopping for a new model, the size of it should be one of your main considerations because optimal distance can make all the difference,’ Pratt said.
