sizeandspec

43-inch vs 55-inch TV

10.5 × 5.9 in26.6 × 14.9 cm

A 55-inch TV is 10.5 in (26.6 cm) wider and 5.9 in (14.9 cm) taller than a 43-inch TV, and has 64% more screen area.

43-inch and 55-inch TV screens overlaid to scale 5 ft 9 in person 55″ 43″ 47.9 in1.22 m 27 in68.5 cm
43-inch and 55-inch TV screens overlaid to scale

Measurements

43-inch vs 55-inch TV screen size
43-inch55-inch
Width37.48 in95.2 cm47.94 in121.8 cm (1.22 m)
Height21.08 in53.5 cm26.96 in68.5 cm
Diagonal43 in109.2 cm (1.09 m)55 in139.7 cm (1.4 m)
Recommended viewing distance (THX 40° to SMPTE 30°)
TVSit between
43-inch4 ft 3 in and 5 ft 10 in
55-inch5 ft 6 in and 7 ft 5 in

What to know

Diagonal sizes undersell the difference: area grows with the square of the diagonal, so going from 43 to 55 inches (28% longer diagonal) adds 64% more picture.

If your seat is fixed, pick the size whose recommended range includes your viewing distance. Measure from your eyes to the screen, not from the sofa to the wall.

Questions people ask

Is 55 inches much bigger than 43 inches?

Yes. The 55-inch screen is 10.5 in (26.6 cm) wider and has 64% more area.

Which is better for a small room, 43 or 55 inches?

Use the viewing distance: a 43-inch TV suits about 4 ft 3 in to 5 ft 10 in, a 55-inch TV about 5 ft 6 in to 7 ft 5 in.

Related sizes

Sources and method

  • Geometry of a 16:9 rectangle (width = diagonal × 16 ÷ √337)
  • SMPTE EG-18-1994, viewing angle recommendation (30° minimum)
  • THX home theater viewing angle recommendation (40°)

Imperial and metric values are converted with 1 in = 25.4 mm exactly and rounded only for display. Found a mistake? Report it and we will correct the page.