TCL and Hisense Finally Throw Shade at Sony, LG, Samsung’s Premium TV Party
KEY POINTS
- •For years, Sony, Samsung, and LG dominated the premium TV market, setting the bar sky-high.
- •Hisense and TCL have recently made strong performance gains, closing the gap with the big three's premium models.
- •Vizio pivoted away from hardware profits toward an ad-centric business model after Walmart acquired it, leaving TCL and Hisense to battle it out midrange.
For ages, Sony, Samsung, and LG lounged atop the TV throne like crowned royalty sipping champagne, while Hisense, TCL, and Vizio fought in the peanut butter sandwich section. Panasonic, the plasma veteran, tried to make a stateside comeback, like that one band from the '90s. Vizio, the Walmart-backed ex-rebel, ditched hardware to roll in ad dollars, turning your binge-watch into a marketing festival. Meanwhile, TCL’s X11L and Hisense stalk the premium giants’ turf, inching close enough to hear the royalty mumble. The ultra-specific shoutout: TCL's X11L now acts like the cool cousin crashing the high-end TV family reunion—ambitious, a bit cheeky, and surprisingly good-looking.
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When budget TVs start RSVP-ing to the premium brands' exclusive 'We Are Expensive' club, you know the hierarchy's done for. Vizio's busy selling your eyeballs to Walmart anyway.
TCL and Hisense creeping up like that kid who did all the extra credit and now hopes to rob the valedictorian crown from Sony et al.
Vizio turned their TVs into billboards and Netflix got product placement—soon your premium TV will charge you for the privilege of watching ads.
Source: Theverge | Published: 1/8/2026 | Author: John.Higgins
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