Should You Buy Walmart's Exclusive Onn TVs? Here's What Consumer Reports Says

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If you're a frequent Walmart shopper, you may be familiar with house brands like Great Value, Equate, and Ol' Roy. You may also recognize the "Onn" label, which is Walmart's in-house electronics brand for items like HDMI cables, power strips, and dedicated streaming devices like the Onn 4K Pro. Over the last few years, Walmart has also started selling Onn smart TVs. Available in several models and sizes, Onn TVs are renowned for their budget-friendly prices and solid streaming capabilities, which is really thanks to Roku TV OS (the software that Walmart/Onn licenses).

For those shopping with limited funds, Onn's pricing is definitely appealing, but would you be better off investing in a non-Walmart brand? We wondered the same thing, and according to Consumer Reports (CR), if chart-topping HDR performance is a priority, you may want to look elsewhere. Unfortunately, part of why Onn TVs are so cheap boils down to picture and sound quality, with many sets delivering lackluster brightness, color accuracy, and middling contrast levels — especially when viewing HDR content.

Generally speaking, Onn TVs simply can't get bright enough to produce the kind of dynamic range that formats like HDR10 call for. CR has tested a handful of Onn TVs in multiple models and sizes, and another common detractor shared amongst most Onn sets is the overall sound quality. Sure, you can hook up a soundbar to just about any TV, but not everyone can afford the extra $100+ these audio systems usually go for.

If screen size and streaming apps are all you care about, you may be very pleased with an Onn TV. As it stands, the Onn 85-inch 4K Roku Smart TV (100150805) is the most expensive Onn TV you can buy, and it's only $600 — and that's the list price. It can be tough to find a good 65-inch 4K TV for that price, and the Onn model delivers up to 4K resolution, has a Roku streaming interface, three HDMI ports, and even a set of RCA inputs for connecting an older DVD player or VCR.

Still, there are many other TV brands to choose from, and reliable smart TV manufacturers like Samsung and LG produce sets that might cost a few dollars more than Onn's offerings, but with notable improvements in both picture and sound quality. This is thanks, in part, to more advanced image processing and upscaling, better refresh rates, and improved support for formats like HDR and Dolby Atmos pass-through.

Then there are companies like Hisense, TCL, and Best Buy's Insignia house brand, which also produce budget-friendly 4K TVs in multiple models and sizes. As a matter of fact, Hisense sells its own 85-inch 4K TV with Google TV, and it's only $50 more than the Onn 85-inch we referenced above. It also scored a 4.5 out of 5 stars on Walmart's site, based on over 990 reviews.

While Onn may not make the best TVs in town, the Walmart house brand excels in other product categories. In fact, if you've been thinking about upgrading an old streaming device, the Onn Full HD Streaming Device is a streaming stick that gives Amazon's Fire TV device lineup a run for its money. Not to mention the incredible performance, format support, and extra storage you'll get with the Onn 4K Plus and Onn 4K Pro streaming devices.

You'll also find a number of Onn accessories for your TV and other Walmart electronics, including low-cost HDMI cables, coaxial cables, and other AV essentials. If you've got $200 burning a hole in your pocket, you'll even be able to pick up an Onn 5.1.2 soundbar system with Dolby Atmos capabilities.

Major retailer house labels are often associated with lower cost, both for the consumer and manufacturer. And while it can be difficult to turn your back on a humongous 4K TV with a price that's too good to be true, Consumer Reports would likely commend you for looking at other TVs first.