Enter the distance to the screen and the screen width into the calculator to determine the optimal viewing angle for your setup.
Viewing Angle Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the viewing angle.
VA = 2 * arctan((SW / 2) / D)
Variables:
- VA is the viewing angle (degrees)
- SW is the screen width (meters)
- D is the distance to the screen (meters)
To calculate the viewing angle, use the arctangent function to find the angle at which the screen width is viewed from the given distance. The formula takes into account half the screen width as the tangent of the angle from the viewer’s perspective.
What is a Viewing Angle?
The viewing angle is the angle subtended by the width of the screen at the viewer’s eye. It is an important factor in determining the optimal distance from a screen for the best viewing experience. A larger viewing angle generally means a more immersive experience, but if the angle is too large, it can cause discomfort and require excessive head movement.
How to Calculate Viewing Angle?
The following steps outline how to calculate the Viewing Angle.
- First, determine the distance to the screen (D) in meters.
- Next, determine the screen width (SW) in meters.
- Next, gather the formula from above = VA = 2 * arctan((SW / 2) / D).
- Finally, calculate the Viewing Angle (VA) in degrees.
- After inserting the variables and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.
Example Problem :
Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.
Distance to the screen (D) = 3 meters
Screen width (SW) = 1.5 meters