Q. I’m looking to buy a new TV and I’ve read all the reviews. But I was wondering which company sells the most TVs? In other words, what’s the most popular TV, the one that people buy the most. I’m looking for a little crowd sourcing to help me out in my purchasing decision. — Genni, Arlington, Virginia.
Genni, that’s an interesting question. As you may know, many industry observers (including yours truly) have raved about LG’s OLED TV, saying it offers the best picture on the market.
But the OLED also sports one of the highest price tags with some 65-inch models going for more than $2,000. So I can understand why some people would prefer going for a TV that has the most popular appeal, meaning it offers both quality and an attractive price.
NPD, the market research firm that tracks global electronics sales, says Samsung is still the leading seller of TVs in North America, capturing around 20 percent of the market in 2019. However, TCL has been rising fast in the sales charts over the last three years and it hit the second spot in 2019 with around 17 percent market share. Despite producing that coveted OLED, LG was third.
Samsung’s top ranking is not surprising considering the company makes a variety of models in various prices, sizes and quality standards. The South Korean company offers something for everyone.
But industry insiders say TCL could soon push past Samsung thanks largely to a suite of relatively inexpensive sets that come with Roku’s software inside. The TCL sets are also selling well because they often receive high praise from review gurus at technology sites such as CNET.com.
To illustrate TCL’s sales growth, the company today holds four of the top eight spots in Amazon’s best-selling TVs list. (Samsung has three while Toshiba has two. Insignia has the other one.)
Genni, hope that helps. Happy viewing, and stay safe!
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— Phillip Swann