Is a 65-inch TV Too Big? [Explained For Beginners]

A man thinking: Is a 65-inch TV Too Big?

Going for the right TV size according to your room size and layout is important for the best viewing experience.

If you are planning to buy a new TV and want to know whether 65 inches will be the right size for your room, you are at the right place.

This article will explain whether a 65-inch TV is too big. Let’s answer the question for beginners, and then we’ll go into detail.

Is a 65-inch TV Too Big?

A 65-inch TV is good for rooms of 144 sq. ft (13×13) or above, like master bedrooms, living rooms, and one-bed apartments. A 65-inch TV requires a viewing distance of 8.1 to 9.1 feet for mixed usage which is easily maintainable in such rooms. But for movie rooms for home cinema, THX recommended viewing distances are 6.5 ft only, so you can bigger than 65-inches TV even in 13×13 room. Generally 85-inches or bigger TVs are recommended for home theater.

But a 65-inch TV is too big for small bedrooms of 121 sq. ft (11×11) and studio apartments of 300-600 sq. ft because they don’t have enough room to maintain a 9.1 viewing distance. In other words, if your room size is (7×7, 8×8, 9x 9, and 10×10, 11×11 sq. ft), a 65-inch TV is not a good size for you. But for large (12×12, 13×13 or14x14 sq. ft) 65-inch TV is a suitable size.

Note: THX recommended viewing distance for 65-inch 4k TV is 6.5 feet and this is the most up-to-date recommendation. SMPTE recommends 9.1 feet, but SMPTE recommendations were originally for 1080p TVs not for 4k TV. But now SMPTE distance is also used for 4k TVs. THX recommendations are best for watching movies and for getting cinema-like immersive experience. So, if you go by the THX distance, a 65-inch TV is good even for small 10×10 rooms.

When it comes to TVs, going bigger is always better if your pocket and place have enough room. According to research, #1 buyer remorse is that they could have gone bigger.

Moreover, TVs have now become lightweight and portable, prices have decreased, and viewing distances have reduced to half due to LED TVs and higher resolutions.

Let’s see how we can determine whether a TV size is too big or good for you based on three critical factors. Let’s discuss them one by one.

Factor That Determine TV Size

If you have no budget constraints, consider these 3 factors when deciding the TV size for your room. 

1-Viewing Distance 

The viewing distance determines whether a TV is too big or a good size for you. The viewing distance of a TV depends on the TV screen and its resolution.

For a 65-inch TV, you need to maintain at least 6.5 to 9.1 feet for watching movies. For gaming, you can sit closer, but for movies, this is the recommended distance range. The distance of 6.5 inches is based on a recent recommendation from THX for 4k TVs. While 9.1 is based on SMPTE for both 4k and 1080p.

If you sit closer to this distance, you will have a very uncomfortable viewing experience.

65-inch TV ResolutionOrganizationViewing Distance
65-inch 4kTHX (40 FOV) 6.5 feet
(Best Viewing Experience)
65-inch 4kPanasonic (32 FOV)8.1 feet (Mixed Usage)
65-inch 4kSMPTE (30 FOV)9.1 feet (Mixed Usage)

2-Personal Preference 

Though 6.5 inches is the latest recommendation for a 65-inch 4k TV viewing distance from THX and lot of people have happily adopted the new distance recommendation, and they love being seated closer. Including myself. 

But still, lots of people prefer to maintain a larger distance of 9.1 feet. They don’t feel comfortable sitting closer.

Therefore, it is important to consider personal preference so you won’t regret it later. After profiling the two types of behavior, we found that we could give some guidance.

We have noticed that gamers and cinema enthusiasts who like to sit near the front rows or middle rows in the theater, prefer to adopt the closer distance to get an immersive experience. 

While other people who don’t game a lot and prefer to sit in the back rows in the theater, and upgrading from smaller sizes tend to prefer longer viewing distances. 

Since now you know how much distance you need to maintain from the TV, let’s see if yur room size and layout allows us to maintain this distance?

3-Room Size & Layout

You need to give due consideration to your room size and layout. If your room size allows you to maintain a viewing distance of 9.1 feet, you can go for a 65-inch TV. 

TV Height from Floor. 

Consideration to layout is also important. Sometimes you can’t change the position of the bed and other furniture due to the room size. 

Is a 65-inch TV Too Big for a Small Room?

Yes, a 65-inch TV is too big for a small room of 120 sq. ft or less. A 65-inch TV requires a maximum viewing distance of 9.1 feet from Sofa to screen. Though the THX recommended distance is 6.5 feet, some people don’t feel comfortable viewing from that close. They want to maintain the 9-10 feet distance from the screen. 

For a small room you can go for a 32-inch to 50-inch TV. 

Is a 65-inch TV Too Big for the Bedroom?

A 65-inch TV is certainly big for a small bedroom of 10x 10 which is the standard size in the USA. But a 65-inch TV is the perfect size for a master bedroom which is often 14x 16 feet. Because a 65-inch TV requires from 6.5 to 9.1 feet viewing distance.

is 65 inch tv too big for apartment

65-inch TV is okay for a one bedroom apartment of 800 sq feet or above. These apartments have large enough bedrooms and living rooms to accommodate and maintain a maximum viewing distance of 9.1 feet.

But a 65-inch TV can be too big for small studio apartments of 300-500 sq feet. These apartments are small bedrooms of 10 x12 which are not large enough to keep them 9.1 inches of viewing distance. Remember you need to maintain at least 6.5 feet from your TV but for safety you should always go for the TV size based on the maximum distance which is around 9.1 feet. 

Is a 65-inch TV Big Enough for the Living Room?

A 65-inch TV is a suitable size for living rooms because they have an average size of 340 sq feet (14×16 feet). So living rooms are large enough to accommodate 65-inch TVs and also you can easily maintain the maximum viewing distance of 9.1 inches. You can even go bigger for 75-inch TV if you can afford.

65-inch TV vs 55-inch TV Size Comparison

If we compare the actual dimensions of a 65-inch TV with 55-inch, 65-inch TV is around 9 inches wider and around 5 inches taller. But when it comes to viewing distance, 65-inch TVs require 2 feet longer distance than the 55-inch TVs.

Therefore, 55-inch TVs are not too big for small rooms of 10×10 but 65-inch TVs are big enough for these room. 

TV SizeWidthHeightViewing Distance
55-inch47.9” 27”5.5-7.7 ft
65-inch56.7″31.9″ 6.5-9.1 ft

Wrapping up

So is a 65-inch TV too big? I think you have got the answer. It is not too big for most rooms. And for home-theatre, it is considered small. But for small room sizes from 49 to 132 sq. ft, it is definitely too big.

Let’s now answer some of your FAQs.

Is a 65-inch TV too Big for Gaming?

A 65-inch TV is big for gaming because gaming involves a lot of moving parts on the screen. Thus to keep up you might have to constantly move your head around, at least I felt so when I played a few PS5 games. 

How far should you sit from a 65-inch TV?

You should sit around 6.5 to 9.1 feet away from the 65-inch TV to get the best picture quality and comfortable viewing experience. THX recommends a viewing distance of 6.5 feet while SMPTE recommends 9.1 feet. 

How High Should You Mount a 65-inch TV?

A 65-inch TV should be mounted 26-inches from the floor so the TV center height should be 42 inches from the screen. But you need to make sure that the eye level and the center level match. 

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