38-inch screen dimensions
33.1 × 18.6 inches
84.1 × 47.3 cm · 841 × 473 mm · 16:9 · Monitor size
Why the diagonal is not enough
Screens are advertised by their diagonal, and a diagonal does not determine width until you also know the shape. The same 38-inch measurement produces a screen 6.2 inches wider at 32:9 than at 4:3. If you are measuring a space, the width is the number that matters.
| Aspect ratio | Width | Height | Screen area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16:9 — the standard for televisions and most monitors | 33.1 in / 84.1 cm | 18.6 in / 47.3 cm | 617 in² |
| 16:10 — taller than widescreen, common on laptops and design monitors | 32.2 in / 81.8 cm | 20.1 in / 51.2 cm | 649 in² |
| 21:9 — the 34-inch class ultrawide, actually 43:18 | 35.1 in / 89.0 cm | 14.7 in / 37.3 cm | 514 in² |
| 4:3 — the pre-widescreen shape, still used by projectors and older panels | 30.4 in / 77.2 cm | 22.8 in / 57.9 cm | 693 in² |
| 32:9 — two 16:9 panels side by side in one screen | 36.6 in / 92.9 cm | 10.3 in / 26.1 cm | 376 in² |
How it compares by area
A diagonal is a length, so a step up sounds smaller than it is: moving from 34 inches to 38 adds 4.0 inches of diagonal and 25% more picture, and the next size up, 40 inches, is another 11% again.
| Size | Width | Screen area | vs 38-inch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 in | 23.5 in | 312 in² | -50% |
| 29 in | 25.3 in | 359 in² | -42% |
| 32 in | 27.9 in | 438 in² | -29% |
| 34 in | 29.6 in | 494 in² | -20% |
| 40 in | 34.9 in | 684 in² | +11% |
| 43 in | 37.5 in | 790 in² | +28% |
| 49 in | 42.7 in | 1026 in² | +66% |
| 50 in | 43.6 in | 1068 in² | +73% |
Pixel density at 38-inch
The same resolution is sharp on a small screen and coarse on a large one, because sharpness is pixels per inch and the inches are not in the resolution.
| Resolution | Density at 38-inch | |
|---|---|---|
| Full HD (1920×1080) | 58 PPI | Fine across a room, coarse up close |
| QHD (2560×1440) | 77 PPI | Fine across a room, coarse up close |
| 4K UHD (3840×2160) | 116 PPI | Comfortable at desk distance |
| 8K UHD (7680×4320) | 232 PPI | Very high — the interface will be scaled |
Frequently asked questions
How wide is a 38-inch screen?
A 38-inch 16:9 screen is 33.1 inches (84.1 cm) wide and 18.6 inches (47.3 cm) tall. The diagonal alone does not fix the width — a 38-inch 4:3 screen is 30.4 inches wide instead.
What are the dimensions of a 38-inch TV in cm?
84.1 × 47.3 cm for the screen itself at 16:9. The cabinet is larger — usually 1 to 3 cm on each side for a modern set, more if it has a bezel — so measure the product rather than the panel when checking whether it fits a space.
Is a 38-inch screen much bigger than a 34-inch one?
By area, 25% bigger. Screens are sold by diagonal, which understates every step: going up 4.0 inches of diagonal here adds 25% of picture.
What resolution should a 38-inch screen be?
Pixel density decides that: Full HD gives 58 PPI, QHD gives 77 PPI, 4K UHD gives 116 PPI, 8K UHD gives 232 PPI. Below about 80 PPI a screen looks coarse at desk distance but is fine across a room, which is why televisions and monitors of the same size are sold at different resolutions.