Photo: amazon.com
Replacing an
old TV
should be an exciting process because of the wide range of features, sizes, display settings, graphics, and even TV stands or mounts that are available, giving you the ability to truly customize your home entertainment. However, this wide range of
TV products
can seem daunting, so narrowing the field to a few of the best TV brands on the market prior to shopping can be helpful.
Read on to learn more about the best TV brands out there right now, and the type, quality, and average price of their products—all of which will help you decide which brand has the most appealing options based on your personal preference.
Photo: amazon.com
1.
Sony
Known for:
Sony is known worldwide in the electronics industry as the largest manufacturer of video game consoles, the largest publisher of video games, and one of the largest manufacturers of consumer electronics, specializing in premium TVs with high-end features.
Editors’ Choice:
The 55-inch Sony A8H Ultra HD Smart TV (available at
Sony
and
Amazon
) operates with a high-end processor for intense OLED 4K Ultra HD graphics, and it’s compatible with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa for smart-home integration and voice control.
In 1946, before Sony became world-renowned, the company started as a small electronics shop in Tokyo back in the wake of WWII. The Sony name was born 12 years later, along with Japan’s first tape recorder, and it wasn’t long until Sony established the Sony Corporation of America in 1960. Since that point, the company has grown exponentially, first gaining popularity as a high-end electronics manufacturer, then expanding into the rapidly growing video game industry.
Sony has decades of experience, including the in-house invention of CDs, Blu-ray discs, and the world’s first LED-backlit LCD televisions, helping to propel the entire industry forward. It is currently one of the top three TV manufacturers worldwide, with a special focus on cutting-edge graphics, smart TV features, and console integration. However, keep in mind that good looks and the latest advancements do come with a pretty high price tag.
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2.
LG Electronics
Known for:
LG Electronics is a top TV brand focused on providing the same high-end features as other high-quality TV brands but at a slightly lower price, catching the eye of tech-savvy individuals who want to save some money.
Editors’ Choice:
The 65-inch LG NanoCell 85 Series TV (available at
LG
and
Amazon
) is a smart TV that uses the WebOS operating system to wirelessly stream many popular apps, like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime, in brilliant 4K ultra HD resolution.
Started back in 1958, LG Electronics was established to provide South Korean citizens with domestically manufactured electronics and appliance products, allowing the company to sell its offerings for an affordable price. LG stands for Lucky Goldstar, the company’s name until 1995 when it shortened the name to LG. Due to LG’s recognition as one of the top electronics manufacturers worldwide, a wide variety of locations carry its products, from small independent electronics retailers to major stores like Best Buy and Amazon.
LG’s focus has always been on innovation and technological advances, so it isn’t surprising that most LG TVs boast cutting-edge technology, graphics, and features that meet or exceed competitors’ products. However, there is one major difference: LG tends to be more affordable than other high-end brands. The company is still working on improving its smart TV operating system for better app integration.
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3.
Samsung
Known for:
Samsung sits near the top of global rankings for successful electronics companies, thanks in part to its line of smartphones, but also by producing a variety of TVs that range in size, features, and resolution.
Editors’ Choice:
With a built-in Amazon Alexa system and Crystal 4K ultra HD resolution, the 75-inch Samsung Smart TV (available at
Samsung
and
Amazon
) is a high-end product that will stand out in any room.
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Samsung was founded in 1938 as a trading company in South Korea, but it wasn’t until the late 1960s that the company began producing electronics. In the 1980s, Samsung invested substantially in electronics research and development, pushing the company to the top of the industry, where it has remained.
While Samsung is primarily known for producing some of the leading smartphone products worldwide, it also specializes in high-end TVs with innovative features like the Tizen operating system, the Crystal 4K graphics processor, and built-in Bixby and Amazon Alexa integration for complete control using nothing but voice commands.
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4.
Sceptre
Known for:
Still a relatively small electronics manufacturer, Sceptre specializes in affordable TVs, with a company policy that focuses on inexpensive parts and technology.
Editors’ Choice:
Affordable and attractive, the 32-inch Sceptre LED TV (available on
Amazon
) has a full 1080p HD display and a built-in MEMC (motion estimation and motion compensation) system to help action scenes flow smoothly from frame to frame.
Despite being founded in California over 35 years ago, Sceptre is still in its infancy, due to its limited experience with producing and selling electronics products. In fact, Sceptre didn’t even sell TVs during its first decade of operation. But after finding success with a wholesale distributor of electronic equipment in Canada known as Hartco, the company began manufacturing LCD TVs.
Sceptre isn’t out to be the best TV brand, recognizing that behemoths like Sony and Samsung currently take up a huge part of the high-end TV market. Instead, the company’s focus is on producing affordable electronics that meet the average consumer’s needs, so just about anyone can purchase a Sceptre TV without having to save up multiple paychecks.
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5.
Hisense
Known for:
This China-based company specializes in producing midrange, affordable TVs for the average consumer.
Editors’ Choice:
With the 40-inch Hisense Class H4 Series Smart TV (available at
Walmart
), users can control the TV with their iOS or Android device through the Roku TV remote app or connect the TV to an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant system for voice control.
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Despite starting as a radio manufacturer in 1969, Hisense made the switch to TVs as its main product by 1978. Since 2004, Hisense has been the largest TV manufacturer in China, due mostly to its innovative products, including a transparent 3D TV and the world’s first true 8K HDR TV, which the company manufactured and released in 2020.
As the popularity of the Hisense has grown, the company has taken steps to acquire a North American factory and branding rights from Sharp, as well as a controlling stake in Toshiba Visual Solutions, to continue promoting its products in the global market. While other companies may offer a wide range of electronic products, Hisense specializes in TVs. Prospective customers can expect to find a variety of TV accessories and innovative features, including Roku, the smart TV operating system.
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6.
Best Buy Insignia
Known for:
This budget TV brand is manufactured and sold by the electronics superstore Best Buy as an affordable in-house alternative to other midrange TV brands.
Editors’ Choice:
Equipped with Amazon’s Fire TV technology, the 24-inch Insignia Smart HD TV (available at
Best Buy
or
Amazon
) has access to tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Amazon Alexa features, including seamless integration of live TV streaming channels.
The manufacturer and seller of Insignia brand TVs is the electronic retailer known as Best Buy, which was originally founded under the name Sound of Music in 1966 as a
high-end stereo equipment
store. Sound of Music didn’t take on the Best Buy name until 1983, when it expanded the product offerings to include home appliances and VCRs. Just 6 years later, Best Buy did away with the traditional position of a commissioned salesperson, creating a more relaxed shopping environment that dramatically increased sales and overall growth, despite top suppliers like Maytag, Whirlpool, and Sony pulling out when they learned salespeople wouldn’t be pushing the products.
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Best Buy has since continued to offer a wide variety of products, expanding further to include computers, tablets, mobile devices, and TVs. The Best Buy electronics brand Insignia specializes in manufacturing and selling budget electronics backed by Best Buy’s in-house guarantees, making them an attractive alternative to expensive brands with more features than most people know how to use.
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7.
Vizio
Known for:
This relatively new brand is known for selling HDTVs at lower prices than competitors and having integrations with Apple and Google products.
Editors’ Choice:
The 65-inch Vizio V-Series Smart LED TV (available at
Vizio
or
Best Buy
) provides users with 4K ultra HD resolution and active pixel tuning to adjust pixel brightness for enhanced picture accuracy and contrast automatically.
Based in Irvine, California, the company was established in 2002 as V Inc. but changed its name just 2 years later to Vizio. While Vizio designs and sells TVs and soundbars, it also collects and sells viewer data and advertising information and has worked to increase brand visibility as a past sponsor of the Rose Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl.
The Chinese electronics company LeEco almost acquired Vizio, but the deal was canceled in 2017 due to the success of Vizio’s SmartCast operating system that allowed Vizio smart TVs to use popular streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+. Since 2017, the company has increased domestic sales of flat-screen TVs. Vizio’s products are considered midrange and affordable in the TV-manufacturing industry, with an intentional focus on integration with Apple and Google products.
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8.
TCL
Known for:
A state-owned enterprise, this China-based electronics manufacturer focuses on giving customers the best value, with midrange products that share some of the same features as high-end TVs without the inflated price.
Editors’ Choice:
This sleek, 43-inch TCL Smart TV (available on
Amazon
) has an impressive 4K ultra HD resolution and high dynamic range to ensure that users experience outstanding picture quality and action-scene tracking for flawless clarity and detail.
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Originally founded under the name TTK in 1981, the company produced audio cassettes, changed its name to TCL in 1985 after being sued by TDK for intellectual property violation. The company is based in China, where it designs, manufactures, and sells electronics like TVs, Blackberry devices, air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, and other small appliances and personal electronic devices.
TCL TVs will never be at the top of the market in quality or features, but the company actively aims to fill the gap between typical midrange TVs and high-end TVs by incorporating various high-end features into its midrange products without increasing the price. This method has served to grow the company substantially in recent years.
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9.
Toshiba
Known for:
Compal Electronics, the manufacturer of Toshiba TVs, creates high-quality products with a modest range of features that don’t quite place these TVs in the high-end category.
Editors’ Choice:
The built-in voice control through Amazon Alexa and the Fire TV operating system makes it easy to find and use popular streaming apps with this 43-inch Toshiba Smart TV (available at
Best Buy
).
Toshiba was not independently founded; instead, it was formed when Tokyo Shibaura Denki K.K., Shibaura Seisaku-sho, and Tokyo Denki merged in 1978, taking on the Toshiba Corporation name. This massive company has an extremely diversified product catalog ranging from industrial infrastructures to quantum cryptography, and it is one of the largest manufacturers of computers, consumer electronics, home appliances, and medical equipment worldwide.
Amidst this range of industries, Toshiba chose to outsource its TV production to Compal Electronics, allowing it to design and manufacture TVs with the Toshiba brand name. These TVs are high-quality midrange products, but since there isn’t much variety with the design, they are best for consumers who appreciate the simple Toshiba design and modest price.
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Photo: bestbuy.com
10.
Westinghouse
Known for:
Instead of competing with the wide variety of high-end TV products made by other brands, Westinghouse produces a narrow selection of smart and standard TVs with good quality and a reasonable price.
Editors’ Choice:
Made for tight spaces like a small kitchen, home office, or a trailer, the 24-inch Westinghouse LED HD TV (available at
Best Buy
) includes a built-in DVD player.
Founded in 1886, Westinghouse Electric Corporation grew as a successful electronics manufacturer for just over a century until poor decisions made by the Westinghouse Credit Corporation resulted in a loss of over $1 billion in 1990. The company has since acquired CBS Inc. and changed its name to the CBS Corporation; it sold Westinghouse Electric Company to Toshiba in 2006 and is currently owned and operated by the Chinese state-owned company Tsinghua Tongfang.
Due to the change of ownership and manufacturing processes, the Westinghouse TV product line is now relatively limited, with only eight TV options. However, these products are available in a range of sizes from 19 inches to 75 inches. Smart TVs with the Westinghouse brand are equipped with the Roku operating system, though the company also makes basic HD TVs and TV/DVD combos that include built-in DVD players.
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