There’s a lot of misinformation on the web about precisely where Hisense TVs are made, but I’ve scoured Hisense’s own documentation to give you the true and accurate location where Hisense TVs that you can buy at Walmart and Costco are designed and built.
Where Are Hisense TVs Made?
Hisense TVs are designed in Atlanta, Georgia and manufactured primarily in Mexico and Qingdao, China for the US market and designed in Dusseldorf, Germany for the European market, with manufacturing in Velenje, Slovenia.
With 16 R&D bases and 16 production bases across the globe for the Hisense group, it’s a little difficult to follow exactly where their TVs come from, and which production bases are used for their wide range of other products from fridges to air conditioners.
But it is clear that R&D for Hisense TVs, both Roku and Smart TVs, is performed in Atlanta, Georgia for TVs for the American market, while European localization is performed at the R&D hub in Dussledorf, Germany.
Making a TV obviously requires a vast range of components, most of which originate in China, but in Europe at least, Hisense TV production is primarily located in Velenje, Slovenia, where they employ 750 people and have the capacity to make 2.5 million Hisense TVs per year.
For Hisense TVs sold in the US, they are made both in Qingdao, Shangdong Province, China, but also at the Mexican factory that Hisense bought from Sharp in 2015, although this factory is mainly used for Sharp branded TVs, for which Hisense owns the intellectual property in the US.
Hisense also owns production bases in Czechia, Egypt, Algeria and South Africa amongst other places, although they do not state which products from their vast catalogue are made there.
R&D for smartphones is based in San Diego, California, and their Hiview chips, which are an integral part of the new 8K Hisense TVs are researched in Silicon Valley.
You might have read that Hisense TVs are researched and developed in St Charles, Illinois. This is in fact not true, as this was an R&D hub for Hisense Photonics, which is not involved in consumer TVs. It’s not clear if this hub is still in operation.
Who Owns Hisense?
Hisense TV is owned by Hisense Group, a Chinese company founded in Qingdao, China in 1969, originally making radios, but after several reorganisations, branched into other home applicances including air conditioners, fridges and TVs.
Hisense began trade outside of China in 1985, with their first overseas production base opening in South Africa in 1986.
The Hisense Group is composed of 54 companies, 16 R&D bases and 16 production bases in total, last confirmed to me by Hisense in 2021.
They also manufacture Sharp TVs in the US, and Toshiba TVs worldwide, after obtaining a 95% stake in Toshiba in 2017.
What Company Makes Hisense TVs?
Although Hisense TVs are ultimately produced by the Hisense Group, in the US they are produced under the Hisense USA Co. label, located in Georgia.
If you have seen Hisense TVs on the shelf of Walmart or Costco, then they will be under the Hisense USA label, but this does not mean that they are manufactured in the US.
Other companies within the Hisense Group are responsible for the manufacture of Sharp TVs within the US, and Toshiba TVs worldwide.
Is Hisense Made in USA?
Hisense is made in Mexico and Qingdao, China for the US market, but R&D is performed in their Atlanta, Georgia base, where Hisense Roku TVs are developed for the US market.
The Hisense USA Co. label is purely for the sale of Hisense TVs in the US, with Hisense USA authorized to distribute Hisense TVs within the US, after receiving them from manufacturing centers abroad.
Who Makes Hisense TV Panels?
Hisense LCD TV panels are produced in-house by Hisense, likely in their Qingdao manufacturing facility, but they buy OLED panels from LG, who are currently the only company that manufacture these.
The remaining components for Hisense TVs, inlcuding chips, backlights and the like, are either produced in-house (like the Hiview chips) or come from a third-party supplier.
Where are Hisense Roku TVs Made?
Hisense Roku TVs are made in Mexico and Qingdao, China for the US market, with a production base churning out 2.5 million units per year for the European market in Velenje, Slovenia.
Hisense Smart TVs rely on Hisense’s proprietary Hiview chips, which are independently-developed graphics chips needed for smart TVs to work effectively.
These Hiview chips are designed in Sillicon Valley, although they are made in China before being added into the Roku TVs.
Is Hisense Made By Samsung?
Hisense is not made by Samsung or owned by them, although Hisense does own the Sharp brand in the US and Toshiba worldwide.
The truth is that Hisense and Samsung are rivals for the mid-range smart TV market, with Hisense starting to eat away at Samsung’s market share.
Both make TVs of equal quality, with Hisense’s more attractive pricing causing customers to move to their side of the aisle.
Why Are Hisense TVs So Cheap?
Hisense TVs are cheap because Hisense has been able to manufacture most of the larger, more expensive components like LCD screens in-house. This saves on paying a third-party to design and produce them.
Hisense have 16 R&D bases and 16 production bases worldwide to handle the design of new chips and products, slowly replacing items like TV graphics chips with their in-house designed and made Hiview chips.
This allows them to be very competitive on price, with only companies like LG and Samsung really able to keep up.
Conclusion
Hisense TVs are made in Mexico, in Slovenia and in Qingdao, China, but even though they are not a US company and their TVs are not made in the USA, they are still one of the top TV manufacturers for price and quality.
They do have a US arm which handles customer service and the marketing of Hisense TVs in the US, which is a bonus, and the low prices due to in-house component manufacturing sweeten the deal.
You might worry about the longevity of Hisense TVs, but really they are no more unreliable than any other manufacturer, and you can fix your Hisense TV if it stops working quite easily.
Overall, Hisense TVs come recommended if you want a mid-range model and don’t want to spend a fortune.
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