Last Updated on May 8, 2023 by Tim Wells
Did you know that Hisense is the fifth-largest TV manufacturer in the world?
Even though Hisense is a relatively new brand in the United States, they make TV’s for a few brands you’re probably familiar with.
In this article, I’ll cover where Hisense TVs are made, who makes their components, and some other TVs they own.
Who Makes Hisense TVs?
Hisense TVs are manufactured by the Hisense Group, which also makes televisions for Sharp and Toshiba. Founded in 1969, they are currently the biggest manufacturer of televisions in China. They have over 53 overseas companies, 14 high-end production facilities, and 12 research and development centers across Europe, Central America, and South Africa.
The company’s main plant is in Qingdao, a coastal city by the Yellow Sea. It covers 12 square kilometers (4.63 sq mi) and employs over 39,000 people.
Hisense TV’s Market Share
According to Statista, Hisense shipped 15.7 million TV units in 2019. That’s well behind industry leaders Samsung (42.7 million) and LG (27.9 million) but higher than well-known brands like Sony (12.9 million).
But there’s more to the story.
Hisense televisions have become more popular with each passing year. This Statista chart shows that Hisense’s market share (in red) has steadily increased quarter-over-quarter since 2017. They had significantly higher growth rates than their competition in 2018 and 2019.
But why are Hisense TVs more popular than its competitors?
The televisions from Hisense usually boast a larger size and decent quality for less money.
Most people who purchase this product agree that it is worth the money. Hisense TVs offer great features and fantastic picture quality at lower prices.
Other features that set this manufacturer apart from the competition include the following:
- Their proprietary ULED technology boasts higher brightness and lower power consumption than other major brands.
- Hisense is one of only a few manufacturers that manufacture their own panels to make LCD displays. It still buys OLED panels from LG, the only company that produces this technology as of 2021. This gives them an advantage over competitors like Sony, who rely heavily on Samsung and LG for display components.
Manufacturers of Components for Hisense TVs
Hisense is a vertically integrated company, making most of its components. That makes it easier to troubleshoot Hisense TVs since they’re all made by the same company.
Third-party manufacturers make critical parts of Hisense TVs, such as LED backlight film, color filters, chipsets, and electronic components.
Hisense’s Android TVs, in particular, often contain several off-shore manufactured parts, such as the TV’s CPU.
Major component manufacturers include Intel, TDK, and LG Electronics.
- Intel: Produces flash memory chips.
- LG: Makes OLED panels for Hisense TVs. Hisense makes its own LCD panels.
Other TV’s Made by Hisense
I mentioned at the start that Hisense owns a few brands you’ve probably heard of. In fact, buying established brands is part of Hisense’s international expansion strategy.
In 2015, the company acquired Sharp and one of its Mexican TV production lines. Later, in 2017, they bought a 95% stake in Toshiba Visual Solutions Corporation, which manufactures Toshiba.
Sharp TVs (2015-2019)
Sharp TVs are a mid-tier brand that often has features only found in some of the higher-end television sets. In 2015, Hisense purchased Sharp America and got the exclusive right to make TVs under the Sharp brand, and Hisense later sold the rights back to Sharp Japan in 2019.
Some of the features that make these TVs popular include:
- Inexpensive HD Quality: During the Hisense era, Sharp TVs were known for full-HD (1080p) resolutions at an attractive price point.
- Great audio: Sharp made its name as an audio company, so you’d expect Sharp TVs to offer crystal clear audio from their internal speakers.
- Smart functionalities: Sharp was an early adopter of Smart TVs.
Sharp TVs did come with a few limitations, however. These included distorted colors under dark lighting and lower overall picture quality in darker rooms. Pictures were brighter on high-definition screens with well-lit/lighter scenes, and darker images made the difference in brightness much more noticeable.
Overall, Hisense-made Sharp TVs offered good quality TVs at reasonable prices.
Since the TV operations were sold back to Sharp in 2019, you won’t find any new stock at your local store.
Toshiba North America (2017-)
Towards the end of Hisense’s agreement with Sharp, they purchased Toshiba Visual Solutions. They gained the right to make Toshiba TVs in North America.
Like Sharp, Toshiba televisions come with great features at a reasonable price point, making them an excellent option for many homes. Thanks to their Hisense LCD panels, Toshiba TVs deliver crisp, natural, and detailed pictures, even during sports broadcasts or action movies.
Despite some minor flaws, Toshiba TVs are a great budget TV. They’ve got great color, a large, clear screen, and crisp audio quality.
The Verdict
As one of the top-five television manufacturers in the world, Hisense manufactures many of its own components. This includes the LCD panels found on many of their televisions. Hisense also manufactures TVs for Toshiba sold in North America.
Head to this article for more details on Hisense’s Android TV lineup. There I explain the differences between all of their current models and explain which is the right Hisense TV for you.
After a brief hiatus from the industry he's back at the helm of AndroidTVNews.com to bring Android TV and TV boxes to the forefront of the streaming world.
When he's not writing, he spends as much time as he can with his beautiful wife and his bulldog.
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