You might not believe what your eyes are telling you: a 55-inch 4K Fire TV at a bargain price. But it’s true; Insignia TVs may be a relatively new player in the market today, yet their smart TVs carry a lower price tag than most, raising red flags.
Insignia is a good brand with a wide selection of affordable smart TVs with built-in Roku and Fire TV support. It’s among the best brands to consider for bang-for-your-buck smart TVs, offering a superb price-to-feature ratio.
In this post, we’ll thoroughly discuss whether or not Insignia is a good TV to buy and use. Above all, we’re answering the most commonly asked question about Insignia TV to help you decide if getting one for yourself is a wise decision.
Who manufactures Insignia TVs?
Insignia is an in-house US TV brand operating under Best Buy, the electronic products retail giant. The brand offers affordable smart TV options in the budget and mid-range market.
Unfortunately, Best Buy doesn’t make Insignia TVs themselves, and they don’t typically advertise who manufactures them.
Believe it or not, Best Buy outsources the TVs they sell under the Insignia name from the Chinese manufacturer Hisense, which explains their affordable prices. However, other undisclosed TV manufacturers are likely involved with Insignia products.
In particular, no TV manufacturer makes their LCD panels, so it’s reasonable to think that Best Buy also outsources them for their Insignia TVs. Also, Best Buy sells their Insignia TVs to competing brands, which is how they make more money from them.
It’s also why Insignia TVs don’t develop and use a custom operating system like major TV brands such as Samsung or LG. Thus, you’ll notice that Insignia TVs come built-in with either the Amazon Fire TV or Roku TV operating systems.
Features of Insignia TVs
Insignia TVs have some notable features that make them a popular choice compared to other brands. Here are some features you can expect from their TVs that should help you decide whether or not Insignia is a good brand.
Price Point
The affordable prices are the primary reason Insignia TVs are good choices for many people in the market for a new smart TV.
The most significant factor is that Best Buy outsources them from Chinese manufacturers adept at making cheaper product options.
Due to their competitive prices, Insignia products are a hot commodity in the budget and mid-range market for smart TVs. For example, Insignia TVs are twice as cheap as major brands like Samsung or LG with close or equal specs.
Additionally, Insignia TVs often go on sale on Best Buy and Amazon, bringing down their absurdly low prices even further.
Even their higher-end 4K TVs are much cheaper than other competing brands, making Insignia a household name for affordable TVs.
Build Quality
Although Insignia is primarily famous for its affordable smart TVs, they do make them reasonably sturdy for their price. Considering how much cheaper Insignia TVs are than other brands, it wouldn’t be wrong to assume they don’t make TVs to last.
However, you’ll be surprised at how well-made some of their TVs are. They can’t compete with premium smart TV brands, but the materials they use and the overall design are exceptional for the amount you pay to buy them.
Technology
While Insignia TVs aren’t pioneers of technological advancements, they keep up with innovation. Believe it or not, Insignia was among the first TV brands that joined the transition to smart TV several years ago.
Moreover, Insignia TVs are usually at the forefront of new technology and software integration. For instance, you can find Insignia TVs with similar screen resolutions, software support, and built-in features as other standard smart TVs.
They were even among the first brands to secure the exclusive deal 4K Fire and Roku TVs until 2018. It’s why Insignia TVs today come with built-in Amazon Fire TV and Roku TV operating systems.
Additionally, this streaming integration is why Insignia TVs are popular among cord-cutters. After all, you can get a smart TV and a streaming device in one affordable Insignia TV.
Reliability and Support
Doubtlessly, Insignia makes good-quality products for an affordable price, which speaks volumes about its reliability as a good TV brand.
Although it’s reasonable that Insignia cuts some corners to lower their costs, the product feels well-made regardless.
Furthermore, Insignia offers up to a one-year warranty for all their TVs, which indicates product support. They also have a solid support team you can contact anytime you need assistance with your Insignia TV or queries about your device.
Insignia is also a household name for other products like washing machines, cameras, sound systems, gaming accessories, and more. It solidifies the strength of Insignia as a brand that many people recognize and use.
What makes Insignia’s products affordable?
As mentioned, Best Buy outsources their TVs from a Chinese manufacturer since they can make these products at a lower operating cost.
Materials and labor expenses are lower due to this arrangement, which significantly drives Insignia TV prices down.
Therefore, outsourcing the production of their Insignia TVs is the fundamental reason Best Buy can provide cheap product options in the market. It’s why many people have access to good-quality and affordable products at reasonable price points.
Insignia TV Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of buying an Insignia TV over other TV brands. The below list should help you conclude whether Insignia TVs are good or bad investments.
Pros
- Cheaper, More Affordable Prices: The enticing price point of Insignia TVs is the most significant reason you should consider getting one. Even high-tier Insignia TVs cost less than other TV brands with similar specs.
- Streaming Integration: Since streaming devices and apps are more popular nowadays, getting an Insignia TV for its built-in Roku TV or Fire TV should be a no-brainer.
- Good Build Quality: Although Insignia TVs are “cheap,” it doesn’t describe their products’ overall build and quality. Considering their affordable price tag, it’s impressive how well-made their TVs are.
- Product Support: Most people don’t expect affordable products to have decent after-sales support. However, Insignia has an excellent support team that helps assist their clients with their queries and issues.
Cons
- Outdated Components: Although most Insignia TVs look well-made on the outside, it’s no surprise they cut corners somewhere to keep the prices down. It may result in older technology or internal parts affecting overall TV quality.
- Not An Audiophile Machine: Insignia TVs aren’t for you if you’re a sucker for high-quality audio. Their built-in speakers won’t do your favorite music justice unless you have a good Sound Bar specifically for this job.
- Not Picturesque: As mentioned, Insignia makes good-quality products for their price. But the lower price point doesn’t help elevate the picture quality and visual fidelity of Insignia TV screens, falling short compared to most TVs.
Is Insignia an excellent brand to buy?
Since Insignia is one of the affordable smart TV brands, you can find a product that fits your budget. By this virtue, their products should already be on everybody’s consideration list since you get so much value from what you pay for an Insignia TV.
Additionally, the affordability of Insignia TVs doesn’t diminish the features and quality you get from them. Of course, it doesn’t let them compete with top-of-the-line smart TVs from major brands like Samsung or LG, but you get a lot for your money’s worth.
As such, we think that Insignia TVs are among the best options you can get if you’re in the market for a smart TV that’s bang for your buck. You can even find excellent Insignia TV reviews showcasing how good they are for the price you get them.
While this guide’s pros and cons section solidified how lacking Insignia TVs are in some departments, they do excel in the areas they’re good at. Ultimately, it’s up to you if what Insignia TVs offer is in line with your standards or doesn’t meet your preferences.
Do Insignia TVs last long?
Like most TV brands, Insignia TV user reviews dissent on whether or not these devices last long. Believe it or not, you can expect an Insignia TV to last an average of seven years with regular to heavy use.
However, other factors will determine your Insignia TV’s lifespan. For instance, continued use over long periods and frequent overheating may significantly shorten your Insignia TV lifespan.
If you live in an area with frequent power surges, your Insignia TV may suffer from more problems early on. As such, handling and device conditions are essential in determining whether or not your Insignia TV will last.
How long is my Insignia TV warranty?
Insignia offers a one-year limited TV warranty for US and Canadian buyers. Your Insignia TV’s warranty period starts on the day you bought the device until it reaches one year (365 days).
You can confirm the start of your Insignia TV warranty period through the date printed on its official receipt. The warranty will entitle you to a free repair service or replacement if your Insignia TV is defective.
Unfortunately, your Insignia TV’s warranty is void once you sell or give it away due to the change in ownership. You can only bring Insignia TVs less than 42 inches in size back to the retail store it was from when availing your warranty.
You must call Best Buy hotlines to request an in-home warranty if your Insignia TV is 42 inches or larger. You must ship Insignia TVs bought online to their website’s listed address, complete with their original packaging and receipts.
Best Buy Hotlines:
- 1-888-BESTBUY (US)
- 1-866-BESTBUY (Canada)
Should I buy an Insignia TV?
Insignia is a good TV brand if you want a product to give you your money’s worth. Since most Insignia TVs are budget and mid-range devices, they are among the best bang-for-your-buck products you can buy at their price point.
Unfortunately, Insignia TVs won’t give you the best, top-of-the-line experience if money is not an issue. However, Insignia makes some of the best TVs you can get if you’re in the market for a TV for around $300 or lower.
You can find other notable smart TVs that can beat Insignia’s offerings by increasing your budget. Ultimately, it’s up to you whether or not getting an Insignia TV is worth more than other TV brands.
Consider what you need from a TV and the maximum budget you can spend on one. With these considerations and some due diligence, you can determine whether an Insignia TV is the best fit for you or if you need to explore other brands.
FAQs about Insignia TV
Most LG TVs are better than Insignia’s offering. However, Insignia has the edge regarding affordable smart TV options when considering the price-to-feature ratio.
Unfortunately, LG is an excellent brand with a superb reputation for manufacturing high-quality OLED TVs. You must note that while the best of LG outperforms the best of Insignia, these brands have different target markets.
Insignia TVs are reliable since they have good materials and excellent build quality. Insignia also offers their clientele a product warranty and an after-sales support team.
Samsung is better than Insignia in most metrics aside from affordability. Samsung is an industry leader in electronics, while Insignia is only famous for its selection of affordable smart TVs.
Again, you can’t compare both brands fairly since they target and focus on different markets. However, you can’t deny how much bigger Samsung is as a brand compared to Insignia.
