# QR codes on tv and broadcast

> A QR code on television is scanned from a sofa 2–4 m from the screen, so it needs to occupy 12–20% of the screen height and stay on air for at least 15 seconds. Broadcast compression is the second constraint: fine module detail does not survive it.

Source: https://useqr.app/qr-codes-on/tv-broadcast · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

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| Typical scan distance | **2–4 m** |
|---|---|
| Minimum code width | **12–20% of screen height** |
| Error correction | **M** |

## Compression eats fine detail

Broadcast and streaming pipelines quantise high-frequency detail — exactly what a QR pattern
is. A dense code that looks perfect in the edit softens into mush after encoding.

Defences: keep the payload very short so the version stays low, and preview the code through
the actual delivery encode rather than from the master.

## Screen size varies enormously

The same broadcast is watched on a 32-inch bedroom set and a 75-inch living-room screen. Size
for the smaller one: **at least 12% of screen height**, and 20% is safer.

## Hold time

Fifteen seconds minimum. The viewer has to notice it, find a phone, unlock it and frame the
screen. A code flashed for three seconds in a title sequence is decoration.

## Motion and safe areas

The code must be **static**. Any movement, even a slow drift, blurs it for a handheld camera.
Keep it inside the title-safe area, and away from any lower-third that might overlay it.

## Set-top glare

Glossy screens reflect the room. Placing the code away from the centre, where a viewer's own
lamp reflection usually sits, measurably improves read rates.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/url
- https://useqr.app/size-calculator
- https://useqr.app/validate