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There are a lot of affordable TV brands that are a great bang for your buck. These TVs can come with either large screen sizes for exceptional value pricing or smaller displays, ideal for the bedroom or dorm, that cost less than a night out for dinner. Among these are brands like Vizio, Amazon Fire TVs, Walmart’s .onn brand, and Best Buy’s own house brand, Insignia.
Insignia TVs come in sizes ranging from 24 inches to 85 inches. They use LED panels, a type of LCD, and offer advanced features such as 4K resolution, HDR, HDMI 2.1 ports, and smart TV software like Roku or Fire TV built in for instant access to streaming services. They’re missing higher-end features like Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos (some do offer DTS), and higher refresh rates. But for everyday casual viewing, especially in secondary rooms, they’re the perfect smart TV for a kitchen or small space.
While Insignia TVs are sold exclusively through Best Buy stores and the retailer’s website as a house brand, Best Buy, of course, doesn’t manufacture the brand. So, who does? Like many other brands, they are made on contract with various manufacturers.
Who makes Insignia TVs
Best Buy partners with various factories to develop the TVs, which affords cost competitiveness, helping to keep the pricing down on the models, alongside Best Buy’s internal marketing and distribution strategy. Because this is an ever-changing industry, these partners can change from year to year or even from one model to the next. However, while Best Buy doesn’t actually manufacture the TVs, as its house brand, they dictate the design, pricing, and, of course, marketing of the displays as well as other Insignia products. Once a design is determined, contract manufacturers take over for the actual development phase. These factories are typically located in Asia, as is the case with most TV manufacturers. For Insignia, manufacturing is mostly found in China.
The companies Best Buy works with for the manufacture of Insignia TVs are typically ones with experience in mass production and quick and efficient access to necessary components. They also have expertise in testing and quality control. Keep in mind that cheap TVs sometimes don’t last as long, but the money savings might be worth it.
It’s multiple factories
So, Insignia TVs are made in multiple factories, most, if not all, are located in China. While there are rumors that Hisense makes Insignia TVs, these have largely been debunked. Best Buy does not openly reveal what company or companies make Insignia TVs, so there’s no definitive answer. It’s more than likely that parts are purchased from different manufacturers and assembled at a factory of choice, which is subject to change. Some people have intricately inspected labels on Insignia TVs to discern where components may have originated. For one model, for example, the main board and memory modules appear to be Samsung, the display potentially tracked to a display producer jointly owned by TCL, Century Science & Technology, and Samsung. But this can’t be officially confirmed.
Whatever company or companies manufacture Insignia TVs, Best Buy stands by the quality and reputation of the displays. While you aren’t going to get the best picture quality or the highest-end specs, the value proposition is tough to beat. Insignia TVs are among the best cheap smart TVs. They are great for budget-conscious customers, first-time buyers, those living in small apartments or dorms, and as secondary TVs for bedrooms, guest rooms, and even the kitchen.
