You’ve seen them sitting right by the entrance of the electronics department. Piles of neon-orange boxes stacked high, promising a massive 4K screen for a price that feels like a typo. Onn. It’s Walmart’s house brand, and honestly, it has become a bit of a phenomenon for anyone trying to outfit a guest room or a college dorm without blowing a month’s rent. But here is the thing: Walmart doesn't have a giant TV factory tucked behind a warehouse in Bentonville.
So, who actually builds these things?
The answer isn't just one company. It’s a rotating door of global manufacturers, a massive $2.3 billion corporate buyout, and a bit of "white labeling" magic. If you’ve ever wondered why your Onn remote looks exactly like a Roku or why the new ones feel a bit more like a Vizio, you’re finally going to get the full picture.
The Short Answer: Who Makes Onn TVs?
Basically, Walmart owns the brand, but they outsource the actual assembly to massive Chinese and Taiwanese companies known as Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs).
In the tech world, this is standard practice. You design the box, slap your logo on it, and pay a factory that specializes in screens to do the heavy lifting. For Onn, the primary players are AMTC (Shenzhen MTC), TCL, and Element Electronics.
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However, the landscape changed forever in late 2024 and throughout 2025. Walmart officially closed its deal to buy Vizio for over $2 billion. Because of that, the "who makes it" question has a brand-new layer. While AMTC still handles a huge chunk of the assembly, Vizio’s engineering and, more importantly, its software are now the "brains" inside many of the newest Onn sets.
The Breakdown of Manufacturers
- AMTC (Shenzhen MTC): This is the workhorse. They handle roughly 60% of Onn's production. They are a massive Chinese firm that specializes in making TVs for other brands to put their names on.
- TCL: You might know them as a standalone brand, but TCL’s manufacturing arm often produces panels or entire units for Onn. If you’ve ever noticed that an Onn TV sounds exactly like a TCL when it turns on, that’s why.
- Element Electronics: This is a big one for the American market. Element handles a lot of the warranty repairs and some assembly for Onn. If your 55-inch Onn dies and you look at the warranty card, you’ll likely see an Element address in South Carolina.
- Innolux and BOE: These are the guys making the actual glass panels. They supply the screens to the assemblers mentioned above.
The Vizio Takeover: Why It Matters in 2026
If you go to a Walmart today, you’ll notice something different. The older Onn TVs were almost exclusively "Onn Roku TVs." They ran the Roku operating system because it was cheap and people liked it.
But Walmart got tired of paying Roku licensing fees.
By buying Vizio, Walmart gained access to Vizio OS (formerly known as SmartCast). Now, we are seeing "Onn Powered by Vizio" sets hitting the shelves. This is a massive shift. It means Walmart now owns the software, the hardware design, and the advertising platform that pops up on your screen.
Kinda genius, right? They make money when you buy the TV, and then they make money every time you see an ad for laundry detergent while scrolling through Netflix.
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Are Onn TVs Actually Any Good?
Look, let’s be real. You aren't buying an Onn because you want the world’s best cinematic experience. You’re buying it because a 65-inch screen for under $400 is a steal.
But how do they hold up against the "big boys" like Samsung or LG?
The Good
Honestly, for the price, the picture quality is shockingly decent. Most models use LED-backlit LCD panels. In a bright room, they look great. If you’re just watching the news or playing a Nintendo Switch, you probably won't even notice the difference between this and a TV that costs twice as much.
The integration with Google TV or Vizio OS has also made them much faster. The old ones used to lag a bit, but the 2025 and 2026 models have better processors.
The Bad
The sound. It’s almost always thin and tinny. These TVs are thin, which means the speakers are tiny. If you buy an Onn, you basically have to factor in the cost of a $50 soundbar.
Contrast is the other issue. In a dark room, the "blacks" often look more like dark grey. You’ll also see some "light bleed" around the edges of the screen. This is where the cost-cutting happens. They use cheaper backlighting zones (or none at all), so the screen brightness isn't always uniform.
Longevity
This is the gamble. While a Sony might last you ten years, an Onn is more of a "three to five-year" TV. The components inside—the capacitors, the power board—are sourced to be as inexpensive as possible. They aren't built for a decade of heavy use.
How to Spot Who Made YOUR Specific Onn TV
Think of it like a scavenger hunt. Because Walmart uses different suppliers for different sizes, your 43-inch might be made by a different company than your neighbor's 75-inch.
- Check the Model Number: Look at the sticker on the back. Sometimes you’ll see prefixes like "WA" or "1000."
- The Startup Sound: As mentioned by many users on Reddit and tech forums, some Onn TVs share the exact same UI sounds as TCL or Element.
- The Remote: If your remote has a specific shape or button layout, it’s a dead giveaway of the software provider (Roku vs. Vizio vs. Google).
- FCC ID: If you’re a real nerd, you can look up the FCC ID on the back of the set. This will tell you exactly which factory in China registered the wireless components.
The "Store Brand" Secret
There is a weird stigma around "store brands," but Onn is basically the Great Value of electronics. Just like your Great Value milk is often bottled by the same dairy that makes the expensive stuff, Onn TVs are built in the same neighborhoods as many "mid-tier" brands.
In fact, some AMTC factories produce sets for Insignia (Best Buy), Onn (Walmart), and even some lower-end Philips or Magnavox models.
The primary difference is the Quality Control (QC). A brand like Samsung might reject a panel because of a single dead pixel. A budget brand like Onn might have slightly looser standards to keep the price at rock bottom.
Actionable Tips Before You Buy
If you are standing in the aisle right now staring at that orange box, here is what you need to do:
- Check the OS: Make sure you know if you’re getting the Roku version, the Google TV version, or the new Vizio OS version. Google TV generally has the most apps, while Roku is the easiest for older family members to use.
- Buy the Extended Warranty: Normally, I’d say skip the "protection plan." But for an Onn? It’s usually like $20 for three years of coverage. Since these TVs are more prone to board failure after a couple of years, it’s actually worth the peace of mind.
- Plan for Audio: Budget $50 to $100 for a basic soundbar or even some decent computer speakers with an optical input. Your ears will thank you.
- Check for "Black Friday" Specific Models: Walmart often releases special Onn models for holiday sales (like the $89 43-inch sets). These are often "stripped down" even more than the standard models. They might have fewer HDMI ports or lower peak brightness. Read the spec sheet on the side of the box carefully.
The Bottom Line
Onn TVs are the ultimate "utility" electronics. They are manufactured by global giants like AMTC and TCL, and they are increasingly being designed by the team at Vizio.
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They aren't trying to win awards at CES. They are trying to be the TV you put in the garage, the kid's playroom, or the Airbnb. As long as you know that you're getting a "good enough" screen rather than a masterpiece, you'll probably be pretty happy with the value.
Just don't expect it to be the last TV you ever buy. Check the manufacturing date on the back of the box to ensure you're getting one of the 2025/2026 models with the updated Vizio or Google software, as these represent a significant step up in speed and usability over the older, clunkier versions.