How high to mount a 55 inch TV?
105 cm (41 in) to the centre · bottom edge 71 cm (28 in)
Mount a 55-inch TV with its centre 105 cm (41 in) from the floor: the bottom edge then sits at 71 cm (28 in) and the top at 139 cm (55 in). That puts the middle of the screen at seated eye height, which is about 105 cm (41 in) on most sofas. Measure yours and move the screen with it.
A 55-inch screen is 68.5 cm (27 in) tall, so with its centre at eye height you look up only 7° to its top edge from 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) away. Home-cinema guidance allows up to 15°, which is why this height stays comfortable for a whole film.
On a TV unit the same heights apply. Choose a unit that brings the bottom edge of the screen close to the figure above, and the centre lands where your eyes already are.
Worked out for A 55-inch screen (122 × 68.5 cm, 48 × 27 in) on the wall, watched from a sofa 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) away, with your eyes 105 cm (41 in) from the floor when you sit. Change the numbers
The working
- A 55-inch 16:9 screen is 122 cm wide and 68 cm tall.
- Centre at your seated eye height: 105 cm.
- From 270 cm you look up 7° to the top edge; the limit is 15°.
The rules, and their sources
Screen centre at seated eye height
A common rule: the centre of the screen sits at your seated eye height, which on most sofas is about 100–110 cm (around 42 in). Measure your own.
A rule designers use Source: Wikipedia, Optimum HDTV viewing distance: eyes level with the bottom or middle of the display (checked 31 October 2026).
Look up no more than 15°
THX says a viewer should not have to look up more than 15°. CEDIA, based on SMPTE guidance, says no viewer should have more than 15° to the top or bottom of the screen.
An industry guideline Sources: Wikipedia, Optimum HDTV viewing distance, Screen height (checked 31 October 2026); Acoustic Frontiers, Home theater viewing angles, distances and sightlines (checked 31 October 2026).
Other screen sizes, same sofa
The centre stays at eye height, 105 cm (41 in), for every size. What moves is the edges, because a bigger screen is taller.
| Screen | Bottom edge | Top edge |
|---|---|---|
| 43-inch | 78 cm (31 in) | 132 cm (52 in) |
| 50-inch | 74 cm (29 in) | 136 cm (54 in) |
| 55-inch this page | 71 cm (28 in) | 139 cm (55 in) |
| 65-inch | 64.5 cm (25 in) | 145.5 cm (57 in) |
| 75-inch | 58 cm (23 in) | 152 cm (60 in) |
| 85-inch | 52 cm (21 in) | 158 cm (62 in) |
Change the numbers
Your sizes will differ. The TV height and distance calculator opens with these numbers filled in: change any of them and the answer, the working and the drawing follow.
Editorial notes
Worked out by the Snuug team on 12 November 2026 with the same code as the TV height and distance calculator, so the two cannot disagree. Every rule cites its source, with the date we last checked it. A rule designers use is a convention, not a study.
Other sources the calculator draws on:
- Audioholics, How to find the right size TV, checked 15 October 2026
- Journal of the ITE of Japan 65 (2011), preferred viewing distance of HD LCD TVs, checked 24 October 2026