New industry standard tells shoppers: pick TV size by viewing distance — not brand

What the standard says

China Electronics Video Industry Association (中国电子视像行业协会) has released a group standard titled “Recommended Mainstream Sizes for Living-Room Flat-Panel TVs” (《客厅平板电视主流尺寸推荐规范》), which it put into effect on April 13, 2026. The document sets out minimum and optimal viewing distances, specifies a formula to convert distance into recommended screen size, and anchors the visual target in a binocular horizontal field-of-view of roughly 30°–42° for a strong sense of presence.

Why does that matter? Because the guidance turns an often subjective purchase decision into a measurable one: measure your sofa-to-TV distance, apply the formula, and you get a recommended diagonal. The standard is a团体标准 (industry/group standard), not a mandatory national regulation, but it offers a clear technical baseline for domestic retailers and consumers.

Industry and consumer impact

The new guidance is immediately relevant to major Chinese manufacturers including TCL (TCL集团), Hisense (海信), Skyworth (创维), Xiaomi (小米), Haier (海尔), Changhong (长虹), Huawei (华为) and Konka (康佳), as well as global competitors such as Samsung. It has been reported that some vendors may align product lines and marketing to the standard to simplify specifications and help shoppers choose models by room size rather than features alone.

There are broader implications too. Could a widely adopted domestic standard make Chinese TVs easier to market overseas, or create a divergence from international practices? Possibly. The measure is primarily consumer-facing, but it arrives amid ongoing competition and trade scrutiny of Chinese consumer electronics, so harmonisation—and how exporters present specs—will be watched closely.

What consumers should do

Short answer: measure your viewing distance. The standard gives an evidence-based starting point for living-room purchases, but comfort, resolution, room layout and budget still matter. For shoppers: use the recommended angle and distance as a guideline, not a rule.