No question that this is a great idea to have a new TV to watch your favorite shows. Here are a few things to keep in mind when selecting TV size for your room and making sure you have enough distance to watch it.
TV installation is usually not a big deal and we all know how to do it. Still, poor installation could make the mains unsafe and could compromise the performance of the device (the image will be not the best quality). Keep an eye on the following:
How to select the right TV size and distance?
Installing a huge TV in a small environment will be quickly giving an uncomfortable feeling to your eyes. After watching TV for a while, the brightness will start bothering your eyes and you will start seeing pixels instead of the entire image. Not the best experience to start with for a new TV!
The opposite is also true. Having a TV screen, which is too small and looking at it from afar, forces the eyes to get tired quickly and causes headaches.
There are several ways to calculate distance – straight from the screen, from an angle, from different sitting positions, etc. Here is a helpful table, which gives the minimum and maximum distance from the TV screen, depending on the size of the screen:
| Screen size | Minimum distance | Maximum distance |
| 26” | 1m | 2m |
| 32” | 1.2m | 2.4m |
| 37” | 1.4m | 2.8m |
| 40” | 1.5m | 3m |
| 42” | 1.6m | 3.2m |
| 46” | 1.75m | 3.5m |
| 50” | 1.9m | 3.8m |
| 52” | 2m | 4m |
| 55” | 2.1m | 4.2m |
| 60” | 2.2m | 4.6m |
How to decide on the right height to put the TV on?
Another very important factor, which will give you more comfort in watching a TV, is the height on which the screen is placed.
Make sure that the center of the TV is at the eye level when you are sitting in front of the screen. In general, this means that the center of the screen should be about 1.20m above the floor level.
Fix the TV to the wall or put on a piece of furniture?
The decision to attach your new TV to the wall or to leave it standing on a piece of furniture should be determined by the correct height (see above).
If you’re going to use a piece of furniture you already have, measure the height at which the TV screen will be located. Make sure that this piece of furniture can bear the weight of the appliance. If you are buying a new piece of furniture to put the TV on, use the height guidelines in the store or online to help with your choice.
If you decide to fixe the TV to the wall, verify that the wall surface is available at about 1.2m. The center of the screen should stay at that height and the rest of the TV has to fit there. That is, it will not work if you have a piece of furniture below, for example. To measure, cut out a piece of cardboard of the size of the TV screen and see if it fits where you plan to install the TV. This will help you imagine and measure.
Take special care of the safety of the appliance. Buy a quality stand, which is suitable for the type of appliance. Carefully mark the hole and place the holder as directed by the manufacturer. Brick or block walls usually bear the required weight, but if you are installing your TV on drywall (wallboard), a wood panel or structural masonry, you will need special screws and other installation-specific reinforcements.
Prior to making the holes in the wall, check that there are no electric wires or water pipes inside the wall. You do not want a water leakage or a short circuit happen when you proceed with the installation.
Read also: Short circuit, refrigerator shock, and electrical grounding – in this article. And, What is the minimum number of electrical sockets and lights? – in this article.
If you do not want hanging wires hanging from the TV along the wall, remember to embed a conduit to connect the wires from one point to another or install a TV panel so that the wires pass behind it without becoming visible.
And if you would like to install a home theatre, check if there is room for proper speakers. Whether you would like to hang them from the ceiling or position otherwise, according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. This will help you make the most of your equipment.
Other important reminders
When you bring your new TV home, the first step is to unwrap it. It seems easy, but large TVs (46” and above) usually weigh quite a bit!
You may need the help of somebody to not let the TV crash even before it was switched on for the first time. If you have to do it alone, lay the box down flat and do it this way.
Choose the right spot where you will place your TV. Avoid placing the TV in front of windows, so that bright light from outside does not interfere with your viewing.
Before you install the TV, plan where the wires will go and which power outlet you will use. Ensure that the TV cable easily reaches the outlet.
If you still have questions, call a professional who specializes in equipment installation! One way to do this is to ask at the store that sold you the TV. They usually have a list of qualified professionals, who could help you out. There are also specialized companies that offer such installation services.
