Longest Lasting TV Brand: How To Make Your TV Last Longer

When we’re talking about the longest lasting TV brand, there are a few different ways to interpret this.

You might be looking for the brand of TV that will last the longest, in other words, the highest quality brand.

Or, you might be looking for the brand that’s been around the longest overall, in other words, the most well-established brand.

IMPORTANT: ALL OF THE LONGEST LASTING TV BRANDS MAKE GOOD TELEVISIONS AND BAD TELEVISIONS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO RESEARCH IS THE SPECIFIC MODEL!

In either case, we’ve got the information you’re looking for. We’ll talk about the TV brands that have been around the longest and have shown a track record of longevity and quality in their products. Also, we’ll look at the brands that are known for making televisions that will last longer than their competitors.

If you’re shopping for a new TV and you want a brand that makes the highest quality, longest lasting TV’s and you also want a well-established brand and not some company that might fly-by-night, then you’re in the right place.


The Most Well-Established TV Brands Overall

Here are some of the oldest TV brands that have managed to stand the test of time. All of the brands have been around for decades upon decades.

Being around for this long doesn’t necessarily mean they make the best overall TV’s because there are a lot of factors that play into a brand’s long-term success, but it’s generally a good sign that they’ve been able to stick around through so many changes to the market, changes in technology, and so on.

There are plenty of very old TV brands that don’t make TV’s anymore, or that went out of business over the following decades, but here are some brands that have been around for a long time and are still going strong…

  • Philips: They have been making TV’s since the 1930’s and are still regarded as a good quality brand of electronics to this day.
  • LG Electronics: LG makes a range of TV’s from affordable options to ultra-premium TV’s that push current tech to the next level. They were originally called GoldStar and started selling TV’s in 1958.
  • Magnavox: They have been making TV’s since the 40’s, but its worth noting that these days, they’re a subsidiary of Philips so they could go in the same category.
  • Samsung: Not as old as some brands on this list, Samsung has been making televisions since 1970, but they’re one of the leading brands today.
  • Sanyo: They have been making televisions since 1953 and they are still a fairly well-regarded brand of television.
  • Sharp: Sharp has been making some of the best TVs 1953, the same year as Sanyo started, in fact. Both are still going strong.
  • Sony: A premiere maker of electronics since 1960, Sony is one of the best brands in terms of long-lasting televisions both in terms of their overall brand, and the quality of their products.

You might be surprised to know that there are hundreds upon hundreds of brands that have made TV’s. These are the ones that have stood the test of time for decades, are still around, and have maintained at least a relatively good reputation for quality. Every brand has issues at some point, but these ones have weathered the storms and continue to be well-received by consumers.

Keep in mind that some of these brands sell millions of televisions, so there’s always going to be some lemons or duds. A brand that sells 10x as many TV’s as a competitor, but only has 2x more complains, is doing pretty well in terms of quality. It’s all relative!

The Longest-Lasting TV Brands That Won’t Break After a Couple Years

tv brands

Now, here are the brands that make televisions that should last you the longest. We’re just talking in averages here, since even the most premium brand in the world could make a lemon that breaks prematurely. Having said that, sticking to these brands will – more often than not – help ensure that you don’t find yourself having to buy a new TV anytime soon.

This list is different than the previous list because some of these brands haven’t been around nearly as long, but they’ve established themselves as a very viable option when you’re shopping for a TV. Just remember, buying the cheapest TV available – from any brand – means you probably aren’t getting the highest quality. A high-end Vizio will probably last longer than the cheapest TV that Sony sells, for example. Keep that in mind so that you aren’t comparing apples to oranges.

With that said, you can’t go wrong getting a well-reviewed television from any of the following brands… (The bolded ones are the longest lasting TV brands: Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, LG, and Sharp).

  • Samsung
  • Panasonic
  • Vizio
  • Sony
  • Toshiba
  • Hisense
  • LG
  • Sharp
  • Sanyo

These brands aren’t listed in any particular order. Keep in mind that brands like Vizio or Hisense aren’t considered to be particularly high-end, but they do make some excellent televisions even if they also have some cheaper options available.

The same can be said of any brand. In fact, many top TV companies will use certain parts and components that are identical to their competitors, and they’ll even make parts for their competitors sometimes – so it’s really about finding a good price, on a quality television set, that has the features you want – and you really can’t go wrong with any of the brands outlined on this page, all things considered.

What Makes a TV Brand Last Longer Than Another?

There are a number of factors that can give certain brands a better reputation for longevity than others.

The first thing, obviously, is the actual quality of the products that they make.

Some companies are simply better at manufacturing televisions than other companies are. There are other companies who would be capable of making higher-quality products, but they choose not to because it’s expensive so instead they opt for “good enough”.

As a rule of thumb, a less-expensive television is probably less likely to be well-manufactured with an emphasis on quality.

Another factor is the price. People will expect more from a more expensive brand, so they’re more likely to rate it poorly when it fails.

These days, as we’ve said a few times in this article thus far, most brands will have higher quality televisions for higher prices, while also offering more entry-level TVs for cheaper. How cheap is relative to the brand, since a well-established brand’s more affordable televisions will still cost more than something from a budget brand.

A third factor in how long a television from a certain brand will last is the specific model you buy, and the technology it uses.

A television using a newer type of technology, like when new screen materials come along, or a higher resolution, will probably be a bit less reliable than buying tech that’s been around for a decade. A 1080p screen is probably going to be more refined than a brand-new 8K television, even though the 8K resolution TV is going to be a lot more expensive.

How To Make Your TV Last Longer

Here are a few tips to make your television last longer, whether you have the longest lasting brand of TV or not.

Keep your TV away from heat: Having your TV enclosed in an entertainment unit that doesn’t have good airflow, or having direct sunlight hitting it, or blocking the air ports, or anything else that can cause your TV to be hotter will drastically reduce it’s lifespan. The same goes for keeping it away from a furnace vent, or other types of heaters.

Manage the power to your TV: Your television should have different power-saving modes, and this can also help to extend the lifespan on your TV. You should turn it off when you’re not using it, or at least rely on the auto-shutoff features.

Keep your TV clean: Keeping dust away from your TV will ensure that less dust is able to make it inside your television. Dust acts as an insulator of sorts, which can increase the temperature, and it can also get stuck in the cooling fans which causes them to spin more slowly or to fail altogether.

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About the Author

Ken Jayes is a lifelong tech enthusiast. He's the guy who family and friends call when their tech isn't working. With his role as the main contributor to RSSCloud.org, Ken is now your tech guy, too.