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How Tall Should an Entertainment Center Be?

Written by Watson's | Dec 2, 2020 9:00:00 PM

Your television is the focal point of your living room. Picking the right size entertainment center ensures a reliable and visually pleasing viewing experience. Here's how to choose the right entertainment center height for your home. 

 

Steps to Find the Right Entertainment Center Height

Measure Your Television

Determining the proper entertainment center height starts with measuring your television. Retailers list screen sizes diagonally or from one corner to the opposing one. Measure the bottom right-hand corner to the bottom left-hand corner, and then measure the height.

Retailers sell entertainment centers based on the maximum television height. You may need to know your television's depth if you do not own a plasma or flat screen. The screen should fit comfortably inside the console without hanging over the edge.

 

Find a Place for the Entertainment Center

You may find the best entertainment center, but it won’t do you much good if it doesn’t fit inside your home. Survey your living room and the existing cable connections to make sure there’s ample room.

Avoid placing the console directly in front of a window. The window illuminates the entertainment center from the back, creating an effect known as backlighting. You’ll notice a distracting glow around the console, and the sunshine makes the television screen harder to see.

Try finding a spot in the middle of a wall that maximizes the seating area. Once you place the stand, figure out how to arrange chairs and couches around it. Small televisions (29 to 39 inches) require at least three to five feet between viewers and the screen. Larger televisions command seven to eight feet of space. 

 

Measure the Sitting Height

Knowing the entertainment center height ensures you can get the console through your doorways. It also influences the ideal sitting arrangement for viewers. Sit on a chair or sofa and measure the distance from your eyes to the floor. Comfortable television viewing should keep your line of sight on a level plane, shifting no more than one foot, either up or down. 

 

The Bottom Line

Get more out of your living room with an entertainment center from Watson's. We carry more than a dozen options, from the minimalistic mosaic consoles to the storage-friendly Gettysburg back bar and entertainment hutches. Browse our online store to find the perfect entertainment center for your home today.