How to Measure a Television Screen

If you're looking to sell your old television, you'll need to determine what size it is before placing it up for sale. Wide-screen and standard televisions can have the same measurements without being the same size. For example, a 32-inch standard television has an aspect ratio of 4:3, while a 32-inch wide-screen television has an aspect ratio of 16:9. Therefore, it 's important to measure your TV with the correct measuring process before selling it, regardless of whether you have a wide-screen or a standard model.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Measuring tape

1. Place the metal part of the measuring tape in the lower, left corner of your television screen. Hold it in place with your finger.

2. Stretch the measuring tape across to the top, right corner of the television screen. The measuring tape should stretch diagonally across the television.

3. Write down the measurement.

4. Take note of whether the television is wide-screen or standard. If the television is wide-screen, it will be wider and not as tall as a standard TV. Therefore, a 32-inch wide-screen TV will seem much larger (because it's wider) than a 32-inch standard television.

5. Measure the width and height of your screen. If you're selling your TV, your buyer may not know the size discrepancy between 32-inch wide-screen televisions and 32-inch standard televisions. Have this information readily available and explain that television sizes are always measured diagonally.

Tips & Warnings

• Always unplug a television before attempting to lift it.

Resources

• TheaterLift.com: How to Measure Your TV
• Aspect Ratio and Widescreen TVs
• TVCalculator.com: Calculate Your Television's Measurements

[civilwrites]

on 8/16/2009 Great article! Thanks!