THE FULL PICTURE: HOW HIGH SHOULD YOUR TV BE?

A home without a television is like a castle in the clouds – it exists only in fairy tales. And that’s only a slight overstatement. The Australian Communications and Media Authority reports that 99 per cent of Australian homes have at least one working television set.

One critical factor to consider when locating your television is height. It’s not the only thing you should think about, to be sure, but if you place your television too high in relation to its space and intended use, you might end up with regrets and, quite literally, a pain in your neck.

THE GENERAL RULE

There are many issues to consider when contemplating your television viewing experience, including the size and quality of your television, and the distance from the television to the primary viewing location.
But for one characteristic, there is a simple and concrete rule: the ideal centre of the screen should be at the eye level of the viewer.

The factors that come into play when you‘re considering only the ideal height at which to place the television include the height of the typical viewer and the size of the television.

You can measure your television and do the maths, but the optimum centre of a television intended primarily for viewers seated on a couch is typically about 108 centimetres above the floor.

If there is only one television to consider, then determining the height can be a question of style over function. For some people, the television is just not that important. For others, the look of the design and perhaps space constraints, dictate the TV location more than viewing-height parameters.

IN THE END, IT’S YOUR HOME

The optimum television viewing height does not need to be the overriding factor as you design your primary viewing area, but you should understand what the optimum viewing height is: the viewer’s eyes to the dead centre of the television.