Televisions are a staple gadget in any household, but they aren’t all made the same. Knowing where one is manufactured contributes to its reliability and value.
Sony is one of the most popular brands today, but are their units made durably? Our engineering and research team identified where Sony TVs are made and more.
Who Makes Sony TVs?
Most TV selections under this well-known brand are manufactured by a publicly-traded company, Sony Corporation.
Even if you’re not a regular consumer or a fan of advanced audiovisual equipment, it’s impossible not to bump with any product made by this company.
They’ve continuously innovated and expanded their product lines over the years, allowing them to gain a loyal customer base. Through this, the company has evolved to be one of today’s go-to brands in the audio and video equipment market.
Like a typical manufacturing company, it’s not surprising for Sony to seek third-party services to assemble their products and lighten their workload. One of their major OEM assemblers is Foxconn, a firm responsible for the manufacturing processes of big American and Japanese companies.
Besides their in-house plants, these TVs are made in factories located in different countries around the world like India, Malaysia, and China.
History of Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation was founded by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita in 1946.
While many of us may know the Sony company for their Walkman, Sony video camcorders, or their music and film production brands, the original Japanese Sony Corporation started producing electronics and credited for Japan’s first tape recorder around 1949-50.
And in May 1960, the company released the first Sony TV, the TV8-301 8-inch portable transistor TV.
About Sony’s Manufacturer
Bravia (Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture), under Sony Visual Products Inc., is the brand designation given by Sony for their Sony TV products. Bravia televisions were previously known as WEGA until 2005.
Sony currently has TV manufacturing plants in Mexico, Japan, and Slovakia, among other countries.
Countries That Manufacture Sony TVs
#1: Japan
Sony started out in Japan, and as such, the company’s own factories were established there first. In 1959, the company built the world’s first all-transistor TV, the TV8-301.
The TVs Sony made in Japan are usually for domestic sale only. The Sony TV production in Japan is located in Inazawa near Nagoya. From here, the production of Sony televisions spread to many countries.
#2: Malaysia
Outside of Japan, you’ll find the largest Sony TV manufacturing plant in Selangor, Malaysia.
Sony used to have another plant in Penang, Malaysia that produced Sony products like home audio, network Walkman, headphones, and battery products, but they moved it to Selangor in 2021. This plant produces Sony TVs for sale to Asian countries.
Recently, the brand established its first fully unmanned production line outside Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Thanks to this tactical move, they’re expected to reduce production costs by up to 70% from fiscal 2018 levels.
#3: Mexico
The research and development for Sony visual products are also done in the Sony de Mexico facility in Baja California, Mexico.
In 2009, the company sold 90% of its shares and several TV manufacturing plants in Mexico to Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn.
According to the deal, Foxconn will manufacture Sony TVs for the American market on their behalf. Since they don’t make the designs, this deal makes Foxconn a third-party OEM, not among ODM companies.
#4: Slovakia
The principal designs for Sony televisions are also done at the Sony Europe facility in Nitra, Slovakia. There used to be an assembler production line in Trnava, but it was moved to the larger Nitra facility, consolidating the two TV plants.
Once again, the company made a deal with Foxconn to produce Sony TVs in the facility for the European market in 2010.
#5: China
In 2011, Sony and Foxconn partnered to build the largest manufacturing plant for LCD TVs in the world in Shandong Province, China.
This Sony TV plant in China produces 30 million panels annually. Sony TVs produced here are sold mostly in China, so you’ll mostly see Malaysia or the other countries here as the country of origin.
#6: India
In India, Sony partnered with Foxconn in 2015 to produce Sony TVs in their facility. As their 4th largest consumer market in India, Sony has to establish this partnership to reduce costs by avoiding high importation taxes imposed by the Indian government.
As part of their corporate social responsibility, Sony India has numerous humanitarian and conservation efforts, especially for India, with a whole site dedicated to their initiatives. Sony India provides support to the elderly, orphans, schools, cultural sites, and environmental groups, among others.
#7: Russia
In 2009, Sony established a TV production plant in Tver, Russia. This Sony plant produces Sony televisions for European markets.
#8: Spain
Sony has previously established a TV plant in Barcelona, Spain for the production of CRT TVs. Eventually, LCD TVs overtook CRT TVs in sales, so the plant shifted its production to LCD TVs.
The plant continued Sony TV production wholly under Sony until, in 2010, it was acquired by Spanish companies Ficosa International and COMSA EMTE. The joint venture between the three will supply European markets with TVs under the Sony brand name.
Are Sony TVs Worth it?
After thorough research, our experts agree that Sony TVs are definitely worth it. Consumers worldwide trust the brand, considering Sony TVs as one of the most recognizable TV brands. Reports also state that a Sony TV should last 7-10 years, given proper use and maintenance.
The most recent Sony TVs use Google’s Android TV platform, letting viewers enjoy their favorite movies and series from several streaming media partners such as Netflix, Amazon, and Disney, among others.
Sony TVs are also finding great popularity with gamers due to having the lowest input lag among TVs.
The Best Sony TVs in the Market Today
#1: Sony A90J OLED
The Sony A90J OLED Smart TV is considered the best TV based on picture quality by our experts and other website owners as well.
With a near infinite contrast ratio [1], this Sony TV produces perfect blacks, real-life depth, and excellent details that are not eclipsed by shadows or highlights. It has excellent ratings for most usages but shines best if you watch a lot of movies and series.
#2: Sony KD-48A9
The Sony KD-48A9 is a 48-inch Android TV that is considered the best in the sub-55-inch TV class.
The audio quality of this Sony TV is also considered among the best in TV sound systems. It is quite pricey for its size, though, compared to other Sony TVs.
#3: Sony X750H
According to our professionals, the Sony X750H is a decent entry-level 4k TV. It can handle most usage scenarios. When you’re not watching movies or shows, you can use the Sony X750H TV for gaming, courtesy of its low input lag.
It’s the cheapest of the three Sony TVs listed here, so if you’re on a budget, this is perfect for you.
FAQ
Who manufactures Sony TV panels?
LG Display manufactures TV panels for Sony. In 2017, the panels for Sony TVs’ OLED models were made by LG Display. LG, however, is not classified under third-party companies, or ‘vendors’ because the processor, software, and build for Sony TVs are still made by Sony.
Does Sony use LG screens?
Yes, Sony uses LG screens. According to some reports, Sony uses LG screens for their TV selections, particularly for their first flagship OLED TV in 2017. LG has been making LCD and OLED components and TVs at this point.
Conclusion
The TVs Sony develops and sells are guaranteed the best picture quality. The company gave us the Trinitron, WEGA, and Bravia televisions, each making their mark on every generation of Sony TVs.
Now that we’ve answered the question ‘where are Sony TVs made?,’ you could consider buying Sony TVs among other brands if you are in the market for a TV – you won’t regret it.
