TV Mounting Height Calculator
Find the exact height to mount your TV so the screen sits at eye level. Get bracket drill positions, the right tilt angle, and the ideal viewing distance — including above a fireplace.
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Drill Reference
How to Use This Calculator
Pick where the TV goes
Choose Living Room, Bedroom, Above Fireplace, or Custom. Each sets sensible defaults for eye height and distance, which you can then fine-tune.
Enter your TV and seating
Set the screen size and aspect ratio, then your seated eye height and how far away you sit. Use the size chips for common TVs.
Read the heights
The centre height is your main target. The bottom and top edges and the bracket (VESA) hole heights tell you exactly where to mark and drill.
Check tilt and distance
If the screen sits above eye level, follow the recommended tilt. The viewing-distance check tells you whether your screen suits the room.
Getting TV Mounting Height Right
The single rule that solves most TV-height problems is this: the centre of the screen should sit at your seated eye level. For a typical sofa that's around 1,000–1,100 mm (40–43 in) from the floor, which is why the old "centre at 42 inches" guideline became popular. But eye level depends on your sofa, your height, and how you sit — so the most accurate result comes from measuring your own seated eye height and entering it above.
Why eye level matters more than a fixed number
Mounting too high is the most common mistake, usually because a TV looks fine at standing height in the shop or because it's placed above a fireplace. Watching a screen that sits well above eye level tips your head back and strains your neck over a long film. Keeping the centre at eye level — or only slightly above, corrected with a downward tilt — keeps your gaze relaxed and the picture square to your eyes.
How screen size changes the heights
The centre stays at eye level regardless of size, but a bigger screen reaches higher and lower from that centre. A 16:9 TV is about 0.49 × its diagonal tall, so a 55-inch screen is roughly 685 mm tall and a 75-inch screen about 934 mm tall. That's why a large TV at the correct centre height can still have its bottom edge close to a console or its top edge near a shelf — worth checking before you drill.
Worked example — 65-inch living-room TV. A 65-inch 16:9 screen is about 810 mm tall. With seated eye level at 1,067 mm, the centre goes at 1,067 mm, the bottom edge at about 662 mm, and the top edge at about 1,472 mm. With a 400 mm VESA pattern, the bracket holes land near 1,267 mm and 867 mm from the floor. At 3 m away the screen sits comfortably within the recommended 2.5–4.1 m range, so no tilt is needed.
Mounting a TV above a fireplace
Above a fireplace almost always pushes the screen above eye level, so it's a special case. Leave a gap of about 100–150 mm above the mantel for clearance and to keep the screen away from heat, then use a tilting mount angled down toward your seat. The calculator's Above Fireplace mode takes your mantel height, adds the gap, and works out both the resulting height and the exact downward tilt that points the screen back at your eyes. If the required tilt climbs past about 15°, the screen is too high for comfort — consider a pull-down mount or a different wall.
Finding the right viewing distance
A comfortable seating distance is roughly 1.5 to 2.5 times the screen's diagonal. Sitting toward the closer end gives a more immersive, cinema-like field of view and is well-suited to 4K content, where you can sit closer without seeing pixels. Sitting too far makes a large TV feel small and wastes detail. The calculator compares your distance to the ideal range for your size and flags when a bigger or smaller screen would suit the room better.
Bracket holes and the VESA pattern
You don't drill at the centre of the screen — you drill where the wall plate bolts to the back of the TV. Those bolt holes follow the VESA pattern, a standard grid measured in millimetres (for example 400 × 400). The second number is the vertical spacing between the upper and lower hole rows. Most TVs have the VESA grid centred on the panel, so the calculator places the upper and lower holes equally above and below your centre height. Because mounts vary, hold the bracket against your TV and measure the offset from the screen's centre to the bracket's hook before committing.
Reference: typical heights by TV size
Heights below assume a 16:9 screen with the centre at a 1,067 mm (42 in) seated eye level. Adjust for your own eye height in the calculator.
| TV size | Screen height | Bottom edge | Top edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43" | 536 mm | 799 mm | 1,335 mm |
| 50" | 623 mm | 755 mm | 1,379 mm |
| 55" | 685 mm | 725 mm | 1,410 mm |
| 65" | 810 mm | 662 mm | 1,472 mm |
| 75" | 934 mm | 600 mm | 1,534 mm |
| 85" | 1,058 mm | 538 mm | 1,596 mm |
Frequently Asked Questions
How high should a TV be mounted?
As a rule, the centre of the screen should sit at seated eye level — about 1,000–1,100 mm (40–43 in) from the floor for a typical sofa. Taller screens reach higher and lower from that centre, but the centre stays at eye level. Enter your own seated eye height above for a personalised result.
How high should I mount a 65-inch TV?
A 65-inch 16:9 TV is about 810 mm (32 in) tall. With the centre at a typical 1,067 mm (42 in) eye level, the bottom edge sits around 662 mm (26 in) and the top around 1,472 mm (58 in) from the floor. Adjust the eye-level input to match your seating.
How high should a TV be above a fireplace?
Leave a gap of about 100–150 mm above the mantel so heat and the mantel don't crowd the screen. Because this usually puts the screen above eye level, use a tilting mount angled down toward your seat. The Above Fireplace mode gives both the height and the exact tilt angle needed.
What is the ideal viewing distance for my TV?
A comfortable range is roughly 1.5 to 2.5 times the screen's diagonal. For a 65-inch TV that's about 2.5–4.1 m (8–13 ft). You can sit toward the closer end for 4K content. The calculator flags whether your seating distance suits your screen size.
Where do I drill for a TV wall mount?
The wall plate bolts to the VESA holes on the back of the TV, usually centred on the panel. The calculator gives the upper and lower hole heights from the floor based on your VESA spacing. Always locate wall studs first and hold the bracket against the TV to confirm the offset.
Should a wall-mounted TV be tilted?
If the centre of the screen sits at eye level, no tilt is needed. If it sits higher — for example above a fireplace — a downward tilt that points the screen at your eyes reduces glare and neck strain. The calculator recommends the exact tilt angle for your height and distance.
Does mounting height change for a bedroom?
Often, yes. If you watch lying down or propped against a headboard, your eye line is lower and angled up, so a slightly higher mount with a downward tilt can be more comfortable. Use Bedroom mode as a starting point and adjust the eye height to match how you actually watch.