TV height calculator

A 16:9 TV's screen is 49 percent as tall as its diagonal size. Multiply the advertised size by 0.4903 and you have the screen height: a 55 inch TV has a screen about 27 inches tall. Add about 1 inch for the frame around the screen and you are within half an inch of any model we checked.

The math, shown: TV sizes are measured diagonally across the screen. Nearly every TV made today is 16:9, meaning the picture is 16 units wide for every 9 units tall. That fixed shape makes height pure geometry: height = diagonal × 0.4903, and width = diagonal × 0.8716. For a 55 inch TV: 55 × 0.4903 = 27 inches of screen, and 55 × 0.8716 = 47.9 inches of width. A real TV stands a little taller than its screen. We measured 52 models, including the current lines on store shelves, and the extra ran from 0.6 inches on thin OLEDs to just over 1.3 inches on thick backlit sets, so we use 1 inch as the planning allowance and say so everywhere we use it.

Height and width by TV size

Advertised size	Screen height	Screen width	Planning height (screen + 1 inch frame allowance)
32 inches	15.7 in	27.9 in	16.7 in
40 inches	19.6 in	34.9 in	20.6 in
43 inches	21.1 in	37.5 in	22.1 in
48 inches	23.5 in	41.8 in	24.5 in
50 inches	24.5 in	43.6 in	25.5 in
55 inches	27.0 in	47.9 in	28.0 in
58 inches	28.4 in	50.6 in	29.4 in
65 inches	31.9 in	56.7 in	32.9 in
70 inches	34.3 in	61.0 in	35.3 in
75 inches	36.8 in	65.4 in	37.8 in
85 inches	41.7 in	74.1 in	42.7 in

If you can measure your TV, measure it. Your tape measure beats our formula and it beats the manufacturer's spec sheet too. Measure the TV's full height, frame included, with the TV off the stand. A ceiling mounted TV hangs without its stand, and spec pages usually list height several ways (with stand, without stand, sometimes even the shipping box), so make sure any published number you use says "without stand".

We checked the math against real TVs. Across 52 models from Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL and Hisense, 32 to 85 inches, including 16 confirmed on sale at national retailers right now, every TV measured taller than the bare screen math, by 0.6 to just over 1.3 inches, and about 0.9 inches on average. None measured shorter. That one-sided result is why we add a flat 1 inch: it puts you within half an inch of every model in the set.

Why height matters on a ceiling mount: the drop we quote on our mounts runs from the ceiling down to the center of the mount's hole pattern, which lands close to the middle of the screen on most TVs. Half the TV's height hangs below that point. So a 65 inch TV on a 24 inch drop puts the bottom of the screen roughly 24 + 16 = 40 inches below the ceiling. If you are working out walk under clearance or lining a screen up with a window or cabinet, this table is the other half of that math. One exception: our DD dental operatory mount holds the screen horizontal, so its length is measured to the back of the TV and the screen height matters less than the TV's weight and depth.

Keep in mind: the frame allowance varies by model. Thin bezel OLEDs add as little as six tenths of an inch, thick backlit sets add just over 1.3 inches, and small TVs sit at the high end of the range because the frame is a bigger share of a short TV. And this math only holds for 16:9. Ultrawide monitors, 32:9 displays and some commercial signage use different shapes, so measure those rather than calculate.

Common questions

How tall is a 55 inch TV?
About 27 inches of screen, about 28 inches with the frame. Width is about 47.9 inches. Measure your exact model if the install is tight.

How tall is a 65 inch TV?
About 31.9 inches of screen, about 32.9 inches with the frame. Width is about 56.7 inches.

Does the stand count in TV height specs?
Not for mounting. A mounted TV hangs without its stand. Spec pages list height with the stand, without the stand, and sometimes the shipping box too, so read carefully and use the without stand number, or just measure the TV.

How far down will my TV hang from the ceiling?
Take the drop length of the mount, which we measure to the center of the mount's hole pattern, then add half the TV's height from the table above. That puts you within an inch or so on most TVs. If you want it exact, send us three numbers (the distance from the top of the TV to its highest mounting holes, the VESA pattern, and the TV's height) and we will place your screen within an inch.

Shop TV ceiling mounts or extension pipes.

Not sure what your numbers mean for a mount? Call 800-585-8795 or send us a message and we will work it out with you.