Discover how Onn and Philips smart TVs compare on price, picture quality, specs and more. Our detailed analysis helps you choose the best option for your budget and needs.
Introduction: Smart TV Innovation Meets Affordability
Televisions have come a long way in the past decade. The age of smart TVs now offers high definition streaming and apps alongside crystal clear displays and powerful sound. With more brands like Onn providing budget-friendly prices, excellent picture quality is no longer out of reach.
But does cheaper always mean more compromised? We take an in-depth look at how Onn stacks up against industry leader Philips across over 8 key buying factors. By comparing smart features, display quality, audio, connectivity and more, you’ll know exactly what to expect from each and whether the cheaper Onn can stand up to the might of Philips.
These budget Onn models can provide decent streaming and apps if you don’t demand top tier display quality, but remain prone to issues like black screens or WiFi connectivity problems.
What To Consider When Choosing a Smart TV
Budget – How much are you comfortable spending on a TV? Onn caters to lower budgets while Philips is mid-range.
Display Quality – Resolution, brightness, contrast and color accuracy all impact how good shows, movies and games will look.
Sound – Will you be upgrading with surround sound or a soundbar? The built-in audio still matters.
Features & Specs – Compare ports, connectors, apps, voice control and what smart home devices they work with.
We break things down across these key areas and more to reveal if saving money with Onn means a sacrifice in performance and longevity compared to Philips more premium offerings.
Onn vs Philips TVs: Brand Comparison
Before we dive into the nitty gritty specs, let’s look at the ideologies and track records behind each brand.
Onn
Part of Walmart’s collection of affordable tech gadgets, Onn TVs target budget-focused shoppers willing to compromise on some features for a very wallet-friendly price.
As an affordable Walmart exclusive brand, Onn TVs cater to price-conscious shoppers. But quality and longevity remain big question marks next to established names like LG, Samsung and Philips.
Background
- Exclusive in-house brand sold only at Walmart
- Caters to low and medium budget shoppers
- Emphasizes affordability above all else
Reputation
- Recognized for low prices rather than performance or longevity
- Quality and durability risks due to cutting corners to meet lower price points
- Good forsecondary TVs rather than daily drivers
- Models fluctuate year over year
- Product support unlikely to be as robust
Philips
As one of the most trusted and established consumer electronics brands, Philips leverages its lengthy track record to justify higher prices with better quality.
Heritage
- Founded 1891 in the Netherlands
- Long history of groundbreaking innovations in the CE space
- Massive multinational conglomerate serving over 100 countries
Brand Reputation
- Renowned for premium quality and performance
- Cutting-edge processing and display technologies
- High-end features even at “entry” price points
- Respected industry leader in television space
- Robust product support and warranties
Clearly Philips TVs default to a strong advantage over Onn in terms of model consistency, technical sophistication, brand support and overall quality. But specifications and real world performance are what truly matters…
Onn vs Philips TVs: Detailed Comparison
Now we’ll examine how similarly sized Onn and Philips television sets across three price tiers really compare across the various core buying considerations.
| Budget | Mid-Range | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model # | Onn 32″ Class HD 720P LED Roku Smart TV (100161589) | Onn 50″ Class 4K UHD 2160P LED Roku Smart TV (100019124) | Onn 65″ Class 4K UHD 2160P LED Roku Smart TV (100000546) |
| Philips Comparison | Philips 32″ Class HD 720P LED Android Smart TV 32PHT4101/F7 | Philips 50″ Class 4K Ultra HD (2160P) LED Android Smart TV 50PUT6604/F7 | Philips 65″ Class 4K UHD 2160p LED Android Smart TV 65PUT6604/F7 |
Now let’s explore how these models stack up across 8 key factors:
Picture Quality
- Resolution – 720p vs 4K major gap
- Colors & Contrast – Philips wins via proprietary processing
- Clarity & Brightness – Philips again with better backlights
- HDR formats – Only Philips has HDR10+ and Dolby Vision
- Sharpness – More accurate motion handling on Philips
- Viewing Angles – Again Philips superior with IPS panel
Philips leverages decades of display technology expertise that Onn just can’t match despite equivalent screen sizes. Expect richer, more accurate colors, deeper contrasts with truer blacks, better screen uniformity, wider viewing angles and support for advanced HDR content.
However at the budget level, the gap is much smaller. The average viewer may not notice huge gains from 720p to 4K at just 32 inches. But move into the 50+ inch range of the mid-tier and premium models and the resolution boost will be very apparent.
Winner: Philips
Smart Features
- App Selection – Roku TV OS wins with over 200 apps and growing
- New App Support – Roku faster to adopt new streaming services
- Search & Navigation – Philips has better integration but Roku extremely simple
- Built-in Assistants – Both support either Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa
- Screen Mirroring – Onn easier for casting content to bigger screen
- Gaming Features – Philips offers better game mode optimizations
- Smart Home Support – Philips ties into wider range of ecosystems
For core streaming and content features, Roku TV integrated into Onn holds its own against Philips. Although Philips boasts better gaming enhancements and ties into more smart home ecosystems.
The advantage for Roku is its singular focus on TV OS and streaming. But Philips uses the power of Android TV for wider ecosystem ties. Ultimately both deliver an excellent smart TV experience.
For shoppers wanting the leanest, simplest interface prioritizing streaming apps above else, Onn excels. But Philips brings far more customization and tie-ins for tech enthusiasts.
Winner: Toss Up
Audio Quality
- Speaker set up – Philips uses better arrangements
- Speaker power – Higher wattage drivers on Philips
- Sound technologies – Only Philips leverages DTS processing
- Surround sound – Philips models simulate surround better
- Sound customization – Philips includes better EQ options
With audio Philips again leverages technology expertise – even on cheaper models – to clearly outperform Onn with more powerful, better tuned speakers arranged more optimally to simulate surround sound.
For the best audio expansion, dedicated sound bars work wonders. But Onn Roku TVs sometimes suffer sound glitches until reset.
The processing muscle also unlocks support for advanced sound formats like DTS Digital Surround that Onn just can’t match.
Realistically the average user will still want a dedicated sound bar for truly immersive audio – but the better foundations of the Philips TV will make those sound bars perform even stronger.
Winner: Philips
Build and Design
- Bezel size – Philips slightly smaller bezels
- Stand design – Both solid, Philips stands tend to be sleeker
- Finish options – More variety with Philips models
- Display uniformity – Philips wins with better backlight control
- Profile thinness – Pretty even between both
Aesthetics always remain subjective – but Philips TVs leverage refined designs that slim down bezels and remove any branding distractions from the screen itself. The minimalist stands also integrate more seamlessly into living spaces.
Onn TV design prioritizes function over form. Bezels, branding logos and utilitarian stand designs get the job done but make no attempt at elegance.
Home decorators and interior design enthusiasts gravitate toward the harmonious styling of Philips. But for pure utility, Onn delivers.
Winner: Philips
Connectivity & Ports
- HDMI – Philips offers more HDMI ports
- USB – Similar USB ports across both
- LAN – Both have ethernet but Philips supports faster speeds
- RF Antenna – Both support composite inputs
- Digital Audio Out – Philips includes Optical SPDIF on some models
- Other inputs – Philips includes more niche ports
Connectivity essentials like HDMI are well represented on both brands – but Philips manages to fit in an extra port or two that may matter for complex setups.
What gives Philips the edge are those extra additions like LAN ports enabling faster wired internet or SPDIF optical outputs to route audio cleanly into surround sound systems or DACs.
It caters seamlessly to home theater enthusiasts while Onn remains simpler for basic streaming. But all core media devices can connect easily to both.
Winner: Philips
Remote Controls
- Buttons & Layout – Philips superior layouts and tactility
- Voice Support – Both Alexa and Google Assistant enabled
- Gaming Support – Philips better buttons for console control
- Shortcut/Hot Keys – Even
- Backlighting – Higher-end Philips offer backlit remotes
- Battery Life – Both similar at about 1 year
The humble remote control seems minor until you realize it’s what you hold and interact with most.
Philips again dominates design with better button tactility, more comfortable contours, smarter layouts catering to media functions, backlit keys, and unique shortcuts or hot keys.
Voice control does live evenly with assistant support – but the experience using the physical remote favors Philips across the board.
Problems like unresponsive Onn Roku remotes signal potential hardware flaws as well.
Winner: Philips
Warranties and Support
- Included warranties – 1 year Onn vs 2 years Philips
- Extended warranties – Philips more options to extend
- Support channels – Philips offers more ways to get help
- Manuals and resources – Far more abundant for Philips
- Part availability – Philips again with way more supply chain scale
- Technician access – Both limited unless in warranty
- Software updates – Philips leads in keeping TV updated
Reliability and long-term ownership confidence go hand-in-hand. Appliance lifespans often extend way beyond included warranties – making after purchase support vital.
As a far larger multinational company, Philips maintain immense supply chains that make finding parts and manuals easy even years later. Technician access never hurts either.
Philips longer 2 year included coverage also signals greater confidence in build quality from the start. And extensive extended warranty options let you invest into 5 years or more of total peace of mind.
Onn remains hampered by Walmart exclusively – leaving sourcing parts trickier and technician access unlikely. The support means less specialization as well compared to Philips over a century of TV refinement.
Winner: Philips
Pricing & Value Comparison
- Budget – Onn cheaper at low-end
- Mid-range – Philips justify about 15% premium
- High-end – Philips commands even higher premium
Unsurprisingly Onn maintains an advantage on sticker price alone appealing to the most budget conscious shoppers.
But Philips models across classes feel reasonably marked up for the superior grading against competitors on key aspects like display quality, audio, design, connectivity and reliability.
Paying 15% or at times upwards of 25% more lands you in a considerably higher tier of television technology and ownership experience.
If squeezing every dollar, Onn deserves consideration. But expect to sacrifice performance which becomes very noticeable toward premium models.
Weigh your budgets against tech needs to land the right value balance!
Overall Winner: Philips
Key Takeaways: Who Should Buy What TV?
- Onn – Best for secondary TVs rather than daily usage where longevity matters less. The value only satisfies if you rarely use the TV. Great for guest rooms or kids.
- Philips – Worth 15-25% premium for substantially better picture, sound and reliability. Ideal as a primary family TV with smart ecosystem ties.
- For Gaming or Home Theater – Philips also the way to go for connectivity, display responsiveness and audio expansion capability
- Budget Focused – Onn only recommend if TV use will be very minimal or temporary. The value drops significantly for daily video streaming.
- Easy Streaming – Onn Roku TV perfect for simplified streaming rather than smart home expansion. Go Philips for customization capability.
FAQ – Common Questions about Onn vs Philips TV
Q: Is an Onn TV really that much worse than a Philips?
A: Examining specs and hardware shows Philips maintains significant advantages in display quality, audio, connectivity and processing. But for casual TV watchers on a tight budget, Onn delivers good enough performance and streaming access that satisfy basic needs. The gap grows substantially moving into premium models.
Q: How does Roku TV compare to Android TV?
A: Roku TV pioneered the concept of deeply customized smart TV interfaces to focus exclusively on streaming. Android TV offers greater tie-ins with Google Assistant and Chromecast enabled devices. For the leanest streaming focused UI, Roku TV excels. But Android TV brings wider smart home ecosystem expansion. Both platforms support all the major streaming apps.
Q: Is a cheaper Onn TV good for gaming?
A: Lack of HDMI ports and optimal game modes limit Onn’s capabilities for serious console or PC gamers. Response times and input lag also unlikely to satisfy gaming enthusiasts even though modern Roku TV chips handle casual gaming well enough. For the best gaming performance alongside smart features, Philips remains ahead.
Q: Can Onn compete on picture quality with Philips?
A: At lower resolutions and smaller screen sizes, the gap certainly closes through the 40-43 inch models. But moving into 4K panels at 50 inches and above, the superior Philips processing including support for HDR content types like Dolby Vision and HDR 10+ outclasses Onn’s basic calibration. The hardware can only be stretched so far. Discerning viewers that care about color accuracy, motion smoothness and sharpness will easily notice shortcomings.
Q: Which TV brand offers better warranties & support?
A: Philips includes 2 years of coverage from purchase date compared to just 1 with Onn. The ability to further extend Philips warranties to as much as 5 years also demonstrates greater confidence in product lifespans. And sourcing manuals, spare parts and technicians stays simpler with Philips immense global supply chains. Onn relies wholly on regional Walmart infrastructure so long term support lacks specialized TV focus.
Hopefully this guide illuminated exactly how similarly sized Onn and Philips televisions compare – and whether saving money justifies any trade-offs in performance or ownership experience. Feel free to reach out with any other questions!
