The rise and fall of the non-Chinese television
The first electronic television was invented by Philco Taylor Farnsworth from Utah in 1927 but even by 1946 only 0.5% of U.S. households owned a TV set. By 1954, 55.7% of households had them, and by 1962, 90% did. During this time a staggering number of U.S.-based brands popped up to meet the insatiable demand of consumers who wanted to watch Lucille Ball, Steve Allen, and Gunsmoke. And the manufacturing was done in the United States.
In 1995, the last original U.S.-based manufacturer, Zenith, ceased to exist as an American-based brand then it was sold to South Korea’s LG Electronics. Every one of the the great Amercan brands you know–RCA, General Electric, Westinghouse, Sharp–were in name only, a nameplate to stick on a foreign-made brand in hopes that unsuspecting consumers wouldn’t notice or care.
Today, there are only a handful of TV brands left outside of China: Samsung and LG (South Korea), Sony (Japan), Philips (EU) and Vizio (US). A company in China had attempted to acquire Vizio in 2016, but that deal never happened so as of now they’re still a US company (they recently had their long-awaited IPO).
What brands do I avoid?
Pretty much every other brand you’ve heard of: TCL, HiSense, Seiki, Insignia are 100% based in China. Just recently, Japanese electronics giant Panasonic announced that they were outsourcing their TV production to TCL. And many recognizable brands like Toshiba, Sharp, Westinghouse have also been subsumed by China-based companies.
This is a prime example of where uneducated consumers don’t understand how state capitalism works. Do you ever wonder how brands like HiSense or TCL got so popular so quickly?
First, years of taking notes from manufacturing other countries’ products allowed China companies to mimic their technology to achieve a product that may not be equal to offerings from LG, Samsung, or Sony, but are “good enough”.
Second, the CCP then subsidizes these companies so that they can offer comparable models at highly discounted prices to their competitors. The CCP is playing the long game: they’ve know that once they’ve cornered the market they’ll be able to charge whatever they want. It’s precisely the same kind of anti-competitive behavior that the U.S. Government has broken up when it happens within its borders, but is powerless to do anything about when a state does it.
And of course, it’s American consumers who ultimately make it happen when they rush to Walmart or Amazon and buy the cheap China brand to save a few dollars. This takes money away from companies that do real innovation and funnels it to allow the CCP to gradually take over the entire industry.
Are any TVs not made in China?
Here’s where it gets complicated. As we’ve seen in posts for other kinds of products, you simply can’t find a TV where 100% of the components are made outside of China. For example, LG Electronics (who builds TVs) sources its WOLED panels from LG Display, who had produced their panels in South Korea but is shifting production to Guangzhou, China. So regardless of what TV you buy, a portion of it is going to prop up the CCP.
But you can stem the bleeding. For one thing, if you buy from the big non-China brands: Samsung, LG, Sony, Philips and Vizio, at least you can support some non-China employees, such as their product development, marketing, or administrative departments.
And ideally, you’ll want to find a company that at the very least assembles their products outside of China, even if many or most of the parts are made in China. This is where the large form factor of the TV helps. A manufacturer in China could assemble a 65″ or 75″ TV and ship it 7,000 miles away, but at that size and weight it’s probably more cost effective to build a plant that’s closer to their target market and hire locals to assemble the product. So at least there’s some benefit to the local economy.
Manufacturers tend to be coy about where their parts come from and where their products are assembled. If you read what their PR departments post as a response to Amazon questions a typical responses is something vague like “our TVs are built all over the world”, so we don’t know if 99% of a TV was made in China and the other 1% was divvied up between other countries.
A little Internet sleuthing helps, however. As of 2021, Samsung has recently ceased TV production in China. Sony TVs intended for the North American market are assembled in Mexico. LG TVs are also produced in Mexico for the North American market and in Poland for the European market. Vizio does maintain manufacturing facilities in Taiwan and Mexico, so there’s a decent chance your North American-based set was made there.
The only way to tell for sure is to visit your local electronics store and see for yourself what the “Made in” or “Assembled in” label says on the particular unit you’re looking for. You can also search for “China” or “Made in” in Amazon reviews to see if anyone reported widespread sales of China-made units to the US.
Best TVs Not Made in China – Quick Ranking
# | Preview | Product | Rating | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
LG OLED C1 | 4.7 | View on Amazon |
2 | ![]() |
Sony X90J | 4.5 | View on Amazon |
3 | ![]() |
Samsung QN900A | 5 | View on Amazon |
1. LG OLED C1 – Best Overall

LG took home the “best TV” prize at CES 2021 with this model. The C1 is the next-generation of the 2020 CX model that made just about every consumer electronics publication’s “best of” list for 2020. The C1 comes in 48″, 55″, 65″, 77″ sizes and a brand new 83″ model.
LG’s lineup can be a confusing mess of alphabet soup, but all you need to remember is that there are three ranges of LG OLEDs for 2021: The A1 sits at the low end (sacrificing things like refresh rate for price) while the G1 sits at the high end (adding some bells and whistles like an art gallery-worthy design). But the C1 is by most accounts the one to get as it manages to offer exceptional performance at a reasonable price.
LG also offers LCD sets, but OLED is the way to you. OLED is made up of organic material, so pixels “light up” themselves as opposed to traditional LED screens which are lit by a backlight. The results are much blacker blacks, much more accurate and vivid colors, and a near-infinite contrast ratio. It features Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos sound, a 120Hz refresh rate for gaming, and an α9 Gen4 AI Processor 4K chip to optimize content in real time.
The unit is an astounding 2mm thick. The low input lag makes it good for gaming and just perusing the built-in interfaces.
If you’re a Sony fan, their top-of-the-line A90J series is certainly worth a look too. It sits at a premium price point that puts it outside the range of most consumers, but if you can afford it, more power to you!
Pros
- NOT made in China (at least most likely not if you live in the EU or the Americas)
- Named best in show at CES 2021 and rated as the top TV by multiple reviewers
- OLED technology results in vivid colors, infinite contrast, and true black through self-lit pixels
- Price point is high but reasonable
Cons
- As with all OLED sets, is susceptible to screen burn-in if left on the same image too long
- Some reports of challenging setup
2. Sony X90J – Best LED TV

Sony’s TV lineup also consists of OLED and LED models. While their OLED models are excellent TVs, especially for home theater setups, most reviewers give the overall OLED edge to LG.
However, there may be reasons you’re in the market for an ordinary LED panel. The most common reason has to to with screen burn-in. There is no more helpless feeling than paying thousands of dollars for a new OLED TV or smartphone, and then after accidentally leaving it on having images burned into it. With traditional LED TVs, that’s never aa concern–you can leave it on the same channel as long as you like or use it as a computer monitor.
Not surprisingly, Sony has squeezed a lot out of the TV. It achieves a high contrast ratio and decent blacks without OLED. Its fast response time, HDMI 2.1 ports, and 120Hz refresh rate make it very good for gaming.
The X90J replaces the X900H from 2020. Some say that the Samsung QN90A series is also a great choice, but Sony’s price point certainly makes it more appealing.
Pros
- NOT made in China (at least most likely not if you live in the EU or the Americas)
- Not susceptible to screen burn-in
- Achieves near-OLED quality through Sony’s proprietary features, such as Cognitive Processor XR, XR Triluminous Pro, and Full Array LED
- Good for gaming, thanks to BRAVIA Game Mode that provides increased frame rate and reduced input lag
- Premium set at a more affordable price
Cons
- Typical poor Sony user interface design
3. Samsung QN900A – Best 8K TV

This is the top of the line TV from Samsung. Its quantum dot technology allows for a full range of vivid colors even at high brightness levels where OLED starts to falter. It also introduces a new backlighting technology using Quantum Mini LEDs that are 1/40th the height of conventional LEDs and which can be packed together in tight spaces, allowing for stunning brightness and contrast and deeper blacks that rival or surpass OLEDs, all without burn-in.
And of course, it supports 8K resolution. There’s not a whole lot of 8K content out there, but it will also upscale 1080p and 4K content.
Many call this TV the very best TV you can buy right now anywhere. The price tag is a whopping $5000, but if you have that kind of disposable income, you will definitely get what you pay for.
Pros
- NOT made in China (at least most likely not if you live in the EU or the Americas)
- Most advanced TV available anywhere today
- QLED technology gives OLED-like color, contrast, and black results without burn-in
- Supports 8K resolution with upscaling from 4K and HD
Cons
- Pricey
4. Cello Smart TVs – Best for the UK
I tend to focus on the US market mostly, but for those of you visiting from Europe, Paul in the comments below brought up Cello TVs. I never heard of this brand before but the more I learn about them the more I’m impressed. They manufacture all of their TVs in County Durham in the North East of England.
Cello has an impressively low price point (alas, it would be cost-prohibitive to ship them across the Atlantic Ocean, so we can’t find them here in the US). Their reviews on Amazon are consistently high (sadly, it looks like China trolls are on Amazon UK upvoting every negative comment to get them to rise to the top, but focus on the overall ratings). If you need a basic TV at a great price that supports communities and the economy in the UK, you should definitely get one of these.
You can find them at Amazon UK and also through catalog retailers like JD Williams.
Do you know of other TVs not made in China worthy of mention here? Let us know in the comments!
- Tags:
- electronics
- tvs
You mentioned Philips in your list of non-Chinese brands, which surely is true as Philips is from the Netherlands.
However, the TV division was sold for 100% to the Chinese TPV Technology in 2014. TPV Technology may use the Philips logo on their products for a fee.
This is one of the most deceptively disgusting constructions I’ve ever seen. The only Philips thing about these TVs is the logo. It is a 100% Chinese product.
I own a Loewe TV, made in Germany. The last remaining TV brand that actually develops and produces in Europe.
What about Devant?
Established in 2003, Devant is a Filipino brand that specializes in designing and manufacturing cutting-edge TVs and sound systems.
Finden Technologies, Inc. is a corporation with a vision of becoming the No. 1 distribution company of world-class consumer electronics and household appliance brands in the Philippines.
cello are a British made tv made in England so you are incorrect
Nice the addition of the Cello brand, I didn’t know that brand.
I watched a video of Cello’s production. I can see that it is really only a final assembly and testing what is done in England. In the video, the chief of development department said that he spends time in China, so I assume that the whole pre-assembly and the materials are made in China. Don’t know for sure though.
The Loewe brand produces much more in house, in Germany they really build a TV from scratch.
Loewe went bust and entered a partnership with China’s premium TV brand Hisense, who now manufacture and design their TVs. The German team simply design the bezels, etc.
Hisense doesn’t make Loewe’s TVs. They have a partnership with Hisense in which technical systems are shared. This is not good, I think so too. But the development and production are still in Kronach. The plans from recent years to outsource production to Hisense are old news.
Loewe is owned by Skynet of Cyprus.
This is incorrect. Cello only “assembles” parts in the UK from a very low end (low quality) Chinese supplier. I wouldn’t recommend them AT ALL – just look at the terrible reviews online.
There are incorrect facts about Philips too. Philips, a Dutch company with Dutch R&D, transferred the TV business in Europe to TPV (Hong Kong, not China as such), who maintain R&D in Holland with many ex-Philips (Dutch) staff.
In the US, Philips transferred the TV business to longterm partner Funai, a well-established Japanese corporation.
Sharp, also Japanese, is part owned by Foxconn (Taiwan NOT China), so that is a good recommendation too, as it’s Japanese in origin/partly.
Samsung has strong ties with TCL (China) behind the scenes.
If you are buying Chinese, the two best brands are currently Hisense and TCL.
I recently purchased a mid level Sony Bravia 55” LED TV. As the article above mentions it was made in Mexico. I am extremely happy with the display, great viewing angles, and the black images display very well. It was a great price point, slightly higher than some of the leaser known chinese brands, and actually cheaper than a couple!
Question. Do Element Electronics and Onn. qualify for Made in China? Although they’re made in China the assembly is finished at their headquarters in South Carolina
That’s a great question, and it shows the mess of the United States’ federal laws about country of origin disclosure.
The FTC regulates “made in USA” claims.
https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/advertising-and-marketing/made-in-usa
However, you’ll quickly see that only a small number of products (automobiles, textiles, wool, and fur products) are regulated by the FTC. In order for these products to be called “made in USA”, “all or substantially all” of their components must be made in the USA.
The U.S. Customs Service is the federal agency that regulates how every product imported into the United States must have a “made in” label. Their rules apply to all product categories, and are a lot more fuzzy. The Customer Service considers the country of origin to be the last country in which a “substantial transformation” took place.
In the case of the TVs you mention, even if all of the components were made in China, because the final assembly was done in South Carolina, the US Customs Service would probably allow them to say “made in the USA”.
As you can see, it’s a mess, and corporations and their lobbyists keep it intentionally so. If they can fool consumers into thinking a part was made by someone paid $15/hour in the US vs. someone working in a labor camp in China, they make more money and the consumer won’t know any better.
I’ll be honest, that’s been a challenge as I put together this blog. In certain industries (e.g., TVs, air fryers), it’s likely that all the components are made in China. I still like to call out “assembled in USA” vs “assembled in China” though, because at least SOME of the money will still go to help the US.
But heaven forbid, if we ever find ourselves in a situation like we are today with Russia where we want to cut off our ties, it won’t be easy because the CCP (very deliberately) made sure that over the last 30 years China has its tentacles into every aspect of American life, the idiots leading US and European corporations can’t see beyond the next quarterly financial report, and the idiots in the US Government who are supposed to have a longer term view are too busy stuffing their pockets with China influence.
The best we can do is hang on and support those few companies that have not bent a knee to China. There aren’t a lot of them left.
Evidently, the ONN TVs that I recently looked at state that they “Assembled In USA. Fancy that. I obviously don’t know where the parts come from. But, it is what it is – I guess.
Our Hitachi TV says it is made in Poland 🇵🇱
I recently bought a LG OLED C1 at a discounted price, as it has been phased out by newer model OLED C2.
The screen display is quite good, made me feel comfortable in my eyes , not sure the portions made in China though
Can you update the list for 2023? I realize this is a real problem but I try to not buy China made products and it is really difficult. I recently shopped for a new computer and purchased a Beelink which claimed to be made in Texas. Upon arrival I found it was clearly labeled “Made In China”. It works fine but I feel duped.