How to use
- Enter your TV's size (the diagonal in inches, as sold) or tap a common size.
- Set the screen center height. 42 inches suits most sofas; sit down and measure from the floor to your eyes to be exact.
- Open Drill height for the mount, enter how far the TV's mounting holes sit from the screen center and any offset your mount adds, then mark the blue drill height on the wall.
How high should a TV be mounted?
The usual rule is to put the center of the screen at eye level when you are seated, so you look straight ahead instead of tilting your head back. For most sofas that is about 40 to 42 inches from the floor. A bigger TV therefore has its bottom edge lower, not its center higher: a 65 inch TV centered at 42 inches has its bottom edge about 26 inches off the floor.
Mounting higher, such as above a fireplace, means looking up for the whole movie. If you have to go high, a tilting mount that angles the screen down helps, and so does sitting farther back.
Heights for common TV sizes
For a 16:9 TV with the screen center at 42 inches (screen area only; the frame adds a little):
| TV size | Screen width × height | Bottom edge | Top edge | Seating distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 in | 37 1/2 × 21 1/8 in | 31 1/2 in | 52 1/2 in | 4.3–5.8 ft |
| 50 in | 43 5/8 × 24 1/2 in | 29 3/4 in | 54 1/4 in | 5.0–6.8 ft |
| 55 in | 47 7/8 × 27 in | 28 1/2 in | 55 1/2 in | 5.5–7.5 ft |
| 65 in | 56 5/8 × 31 7/8 in | 26 1/8 in | 57 7/8 in | 6.5–8.8 ft |
| 75 in | 65 3/8 × 36 3/4 in | 23 5/8 in | 60 3/8 in | 7.5–10.2 ft |
| 85 in | 74 1/8 × 41 5/8 in | 21 1/8 in | 62 7/8 in | 8.5–11.5 ft |
Finding the height to drill
The mounting holes on the back of a TV (the VESA pattern) are often not in the middle of the screen, and a wall plate does not always hold the TV with its holes level with the plate's own holes. So the drill height is: screen center height, plus the distance from the screen center up to the TV's holes, plus the distance from the TV's holes up to the wall plate's holes. Measure the first on the TV itself; the second is in the mount's manual or can be measured with the bracket arms attached.
Before drilling, find the studs with a stud finder and use a level on the wall plate. Mark the drill height lightly, hold the plate in place, and check the TV's bottom edge clears any console or soundbar below it.
Frequently asked questions
How high should a 65 inch TV be mounted?
With the center at a seated eye level of 42 inches, the bottom edge of a 65 inch TV is about 26 1/8 inches from the floor and the top edge about 57 7/8 inches. Your drill height then depends on where the mounting holes are on your TV and on your mount.
Is 42 inches right for my room?
It suits a typical sofa with a seat about 18 inches high. Sit where you normally watch and measure from the floor to your eyes; use that number as the center height. For a bedroom TV watched from bed, the center is usually higher.
How far should I sit from the TV?
The range shown runs from the 40 degree viewing angle THX suggests for a movie-theater feel to the 30 degree angle SMPTE gives as a minimum. For a 65 inch TV that is about 6.5 to 8.8 feet.
Does the calculator work for other screen shapes?
It assumes a standard 16:9 TV, which is nearly every TV sold today. For an ultrawide monitor or a projector screen, measure its height and set the center the same way.
