The Hyundai logo on a TV often raises questions, as the brand is primarily associated with cars. Let's try to figure out where these devices come from, who produces them, and what is the connection between TVs and the automotive giant.
For me, this creates a kind of trap. I see a familiar logo, and my brain automatically transfers to the TV the associations I know about Hyundai cars: reliability, modern design, good value for money.
Are Hyundai TVs related to the car brand?
Hyundai is a South Korean conglomerate founded in 1947. Initially, the single Hyundai Group included dozens of areas: construction, shipbuilding, heavy industry, electronics, finance and automotive. After the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and the death of founder Jeon Ju-yeon in 2001, the conglomerate was divided into several independent companies.
Today, Hyundai Motor Company is a separate company that produces Solaris, Tucson, and other models. There are also Hyundai Heavy Industries (shipbuilding), Hyundai Engineering & Construction (construction), and other divisions.
Electronics also has its own history: in 1983, Hyundai Electronics Industries was created, producing computers and televisions. In 2001, this division became Hynix (now SK Hynix), focusing on microcircuits. And home appliances under the Hyundai brand – televisions, washing machines, refrigerators – began to be produced under license by third-party companies not directly related to Hyundai Motor Company or other former divisions of the conglomerate.
The collapse of the single Hyundai Group is a cautionary tale that even giant corporations are not immune to external economic shocks. It also demonstrates the flexibility of the Korean business model: instead of allowing a loss-making business to sink the entire empire, it is “set free to float.” The irony is that the unit “saved” in this way, SK Hynix, is today a technology giant, while the Hyundai brand in the consumer electronics market exists only as a trademark exploiting the glory of the past.
Who makes Hyundai TVs?
So, as you can see, Hyundai doesn't make its own TVs. Instead of manufacturing its own products, Hyundai's electronics brand owners use an ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) model. This is a common practice where one company, the “manufacturer,” designs and manufactures a product, and another company, the “brand owner,” sells it under its own brand.
The process looks like this: a licensee company that owns the rights to the Hyundai brand in a certain region does not create a TV from scratch. It turns to large Chinese or Turkish factories (for example, TCL, Hisense, Vestel), which have ready-made platforms – “chassis” with a specific processor, a set of ports and software. The customer chooses the screen diagonal, the type of matrix from those available, the design of the case and the remote control, and then the factory assembles a batch of TVs, installing the Hyundai logo on them.
Often, the same ODM factory produces TVs for dozens of different “budget” brands. For example, the Turkish giant Vestel produces equipment for brands such as Finlux, Telefunken, Kendo, and many others sold in Europe. Because of this, you can find TVs with completely different names that have identical menus, the same remote control, and similar characteristics. This is not a fake, but the realities of the modern global production economy.
This leads to an interesting phenomenon that I call the “illusion of choice.” When we walk into a store, we see a wall of TVs from 20 different brands, and it seems to us that we have a huge selection. In reality, most of these devices may be manufactured by 2-3 factories and differ only in logos and minor design details.
Quality of Hyundai TVs: Is it worth buying them?
Hyundai TVs are positioned in the budget and lower-middle price segments. It is incorrect to compare them directly with the flagship models of A-brands (LG, Samsung, Sony), since they exist in different market niches. The technological basis of such TVs is proven, mass-produced, but not advanced components. Instead of unique image processing processors, like the market leaders, standard chips from companies such as MediaTek are used here. Instead of advanced OLED or Mini-LED panels, ordinary LED matrices are used.
However, this does not mean that the quality is a priori bad. It is rather a compromise. If your goal is to get a screen of the maximum diagonal for minimal money for watching terrestrial TV, YouTube or undemanding gaming, such a TV can be a completely justified choice. It is suitable as a second TV in the kitchen or cottage, or for users who do not chase the latest technologies.
The key factor in image quality is not only the type of panel, but also its class. Large matrix manufacturers sort their products by quality. The highest class panels (Grade A+) with perfect backlight uniformity and without a single dead pixel go to the flagship models of top brands. Lower class panels (Grade A, Grade B) with an acceptable number of defects are sold to cheaper brands. That is why two TVs with the same “on paper” characteristics can show images of different quality.
There is a philosophy of “enough technology”. Not everyone needs a TV that supports Dolby Vision IQ and has a refresh rate of 144 Hz. For millions of people around the world, the main criteria are price, diagonal and the presence of Smart TV. Brands like the “licensed” Hyundai perfectly satisfy this demand. They offer not a technological breakthrough, but a product that performs its basic function. And there is nothing wrong with that.
