Consumers looking for a budget smart TV may find themselves exploring the ONN brand, which is one of the cheapest on offer while still offering good quality in a variety of sizes with great picture quality. The smallest of the televisions retail at just $98, which is practically unheard of in today’s market!
With such an attractive price tag, consumers might be wondering who makes ONN TV’s. And where in the world are such decent quality, low-cost products manufactured?
Durabrand, the private label tradename of Walmart, manufactures Onn brand products. However, all warranty repairs are handled by Element Electronics Company. In addition to that, Durabrand is responsible for managing the value for money company’s other brands of consumer electronics.
Read on to learn more about the manufacturing process behind ONN televisions, including what companies manufacture them, where they are made, and how this compares to other smart TV brands.
Who Makes ONN Televisions?
ONN is the in-house television and TV accessories brand of Walmart. ONN TV’s are sold exclusively in Walmart stores and on Walmart.com. The televisions themselves are manufactured by Durabrand.
If you haven’t heard of Durabrand, that’s OK – it’s actually just one of Walmart’s private label tradenames, first established in 1999. (The term “private label” refers to the notion of a product manufactured by one company but sold under the name of another.)
Durabrand provides the majority of Walmart’s generic label consumer electronics. While the company’s reach has expanded a little bit since it was first founded, the vast majority of its products are still created just for Walmart.
Walmart and Durabrand first launched the sale of ONN TV’s for November “Black Friday” sales in 2019, starting with the 40”, 50”, and 58” sizes, and the offerings in TV sizes has greatly expanded since then, with Durabrand still manufacturing them to this day.
Durabrand also makes the ONN TV accessories sold by Walmart, such as the wall mounts, TV stands, wireless speakers, and remotes.
Durabrand outsources the actual physical production of the ONN TV’s to several subcontractors. The exact subcontractor that has made your ONN TV varies from year to year.
As of now, it seems that there is currently one main brand that Durabrand works with regularly for ONN production: Funai Electronic Co. Then, warranty and repair services are handled by Element Electronics.
Let’s take a look at these companies in greater detail.
Funai Electronic Co
Funai Electronic Co is a well-known electronics manufacturing company based out of Osaka, Japan. Durabrand is not their only client. They also produce some products for name brands like Denon and Sharp.
Funai Electronic was founded in 1961 and they are also an OEM, or “Original Equipment Manufacturer,” which means they also produce their own brand-name products in addition to the ones they supply to other corporations like Durabrand.
In addition to consumer electronics, Funai manufactures individual parts that become components of other more complex products, such as appliances, printers, and computer peripheral products.
However, a press release on the company’s website notes that “liquid crystal televisions” are its primary business. Funai products also occasionally appear under the brand name Koss.
Also according to the press release, given heavy competition from manufacturers in China and an increasingly digitized way of life, Funai Electronics has transitioned its company structure into two companies, a holding company and an operating company. They will continue to leverage their partnerships and business alliances with other companies like Durabrand to continue to get their high-quality, low-cost products onto the market.
Funai Electronic Co is the parent company of the subsidiary Funai Corporation, which is the North American marketing and sales company for the products Funai manufactures in Japan.
The Funai corporation was established in 1991 and operates out of Santa Fe Springs and Torrance, both of which are in California.
The Funai Corporation also sells products to Sanyo, Magnovox, and Philips in addition to Durabrand.
Warranties And Repairs By Element Electronics
The warranty and repair services for ONN products are handled by the American company Element Electronics.
Element is based on South Carolina, and it manufactures its own products as well.
Element’s own TV production factory opened in 2014, making it the only major television company that assembles its products in the United States.
It’s especially helpful for American Walmart customers to have a U.S.-based company handling any repair issues, rather than having to outsource them to another country.
Orion Electric – The Previous Supplier
Like Funai, Orion Electric, also known as Orion Corp, Ltd., was also a manufacturer based out of Osaka, Japan, that supplies ONN televisions to Durabrand for Walmart. The products usually went under the name “Orion,” rather than the full name “Orion Electric.”
The company was founded in 1958 and was considered one of Funai’s chief competitors. Until recently, they also supplied products to Durabrand alongside Funai.
Orion had actually been working with Walmart for quite some time. In the 1990s, Orion products (as well as those of one of their owned brand name, World) were sold exclusively by Walmart.
It’s worth mentioning here since if you own an ONN TV purchased prior to 2020, it very well may have been made by Orion.
Due to poor sales and severe worldwide competition with other discount manufacturers, Orion shut down for good on May 20, 2019.
We’re bringing it up since many recent online articles about ONN TV’s cite Orion as one of the manufacturers alongside Funai. But in fact, the company no longer exists.
FYI – If you’re doing more digging on Orion, make sure you note that it’s Orion Electric, not to be confused with Orion Electronics, which is another manufacturer of televisions (as well as DVD players, speakers, etc.) based out of Budapest, Hungary.
Where Are ONN TVs Made? Countries Where ONN TVs Are Manufactured
Now that we’ve covered who manufactures ONN TVs, let’s look closer at where are ONN Tvs manufactured?
Durabrand outsources production of ONN televisions primarily to Funai Electronics. While Funai’s business operations are based out of Osaka, Japan – as well as the noted international marketing and sales offices, including the one Durabrand / ONN works with in California – the manufacturing itself does not happen in Japan.
Funai products are manufactured in several plants throughout China, as well as additional facilities in Thailand, Hong Kong, Mexico, and the Philippines.
While it’s hard to determine exactly which television is produced at which plant, it’s safe to assume, given the volume of ONN / Durabrand devices produced by Funai, that they are spread across several facilities.
Below are details on each of these plants, according to Funai’s own website.
China
According to Funai’s company history page, the company has deep manufacturing ties to China.
While the location of the current facilities is not known, it’s worth noting the history: Dong Guong Plant started operations as a consignment production plant in China in 1992, and Zhong Yue Funai Electron Co. as established as a production subsidiary in China in 2010, with Zhong Shan Funai Electron Co. following in 2012.
Thailand
Funai’s production subsidiary in Thailand is called Funai (Thailand) Co., Ltd. It is based out of 835 Moo 18, Pakchong-Lumsompung Road Tambon Chantuek, Amphur Pakchong, Nakhon Ratchasima, 30130 Thailand.
Hong Kong
Funai’s production subsidiary in Hong Kong is called Funai Electric (H.K.), Ltd. It is based out of Unit 10A, 11/F., Tower 2, Ever Gain Plaza, 88 Container Port Road, Kwai Chung, N.T. Hong Kong.
Mexico
Funai’s production subsidiary in Mexico is called Funai Manufacturing, S.A. DE C.V. It is based out of Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada No. 8040 Interior B Colonia El Tecolote Tijuana, B.C. CP22644.
The Philippines
Funai has two production subsidiaries in the Philippines. The first is Funai Electric Phillipines Inc. based out of Phasa2-A, BLK. 1-LOT 3, 4 and 5, Lima Technology Center Lipa City, Batangas Philippines 4217.
The other is Funai Electric CEBU, Inc. based out of Block 2, Lot 2-5, Sinulog Drive MEPZ II, Basak, Lapu-lapu City 6015 Cebu, Philippines.
Is Onn TV A Good Product?
Onn TV has become a popular TV brand because of it affordable price and trust of being a walmart in-house brand. However, there are several advantages of owning an Onn TV, as well as some potential drawbacks.
You should check our guide “Is ONN A Quality Brand” and dive into the features and benefits of owning an Onn TV so you can decide if it’s the right choice for you.
Does Onn TV Have Warranty?
Yes, Onn TV does come with a limited one-year warranty. This warranty covers any manufacturer defects and any issues arising from normal use of the product.
If you experience any issues with your Onn TV within the first year of ownership, you can contact customer service directly to resolve them. The customer service team is available 24/7 to help answer questions and provide technical support.
Additionally, you can also visit the Onn TV website for more information on their warranty policy and to contact them for a replacement in case your product is damaged or defective.
Are Onn TVs Made in America?
When it comes to choosing a television, one of the first questions many people ask is whether or not the model they’re considering is made in America.
The Onn brand has become increasingly popular in recent years, with a variety of models designed to fit any budget.
Onn TVs are owned by Walmart brand which is an American company but the manufacturing of these televisions are done in China, Mexico, Thailand, HongKong and Philippines.
Conclusion
Walmart’s ONN TV’s are provided by the consumer electronics company Durabrand, which outsources production to the Japanese company Funai Electronic Co. Funai’s television products are manufactured in plants in several countries, including China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Mexico, and the Philippines. Repair and warranty services for ONN TV’s are provided by the U.S.-based Element Electronics.
ONN TVs use Roku OS which makes it easier for the ONN TV customers to watch their favorite streaming shows on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video and at the same time be pritected from any vulnerabilities.