Pro AV Index Independent · Pro AV Reference

LED pixel pitch calculator

How to use it Enter the wall size and the distance of the closest viewer — not the average one. Lobby and reception walls are most often under-specified because the design distance was measured from the middle of the room.

How this is calculated

Three distances bound the answer, all derived from the roughly one arc-minute resolving limit of 20/20 vision:

BoundFormulaMeaning
Retina pitchdistance ÷ 3.4Pixels genuinely indistinguishable
Comfortable pitchdistance ÷ 2.0Structure visible only if sought
Coarsest usabledistance ÷ 1.0Below this the grid dominates
Caveat

Power and module counts are planning estimates. Cabinet dimensions, real pitch availability and power draw vary between manufacturers — confirm against the actual datasheet before it reaches a drawing.

Frequently asked

How is the recommended pitch calculated?

From the closest viewing distance. Minimum acceptable pitch is the distance in metres divided by 3.4 (the retina limit), and the coarsest acceptable pitch is the distance in metres divided by 1.0.

Why does the calculator show a range rather than one number?

Because the right answer depends on content. Text and dashboards need the finer end of the range; full-motion video tolerates the coarser end.