Are you on the market for a new TV?
Us too.
That’s why we’re scouring the internet for opinions about different brands.
And, after reading countless reviews about their TVs, we’re ready to give a verdict.
Is Insignia a good TV brand?
Stay tuned…
Keep reading to discover:
- Why input lag makes Insignia TVs a bad TV for gaming.
- What makes Insignia’s OS Fire and Roku the best OS for TV.
- 4 reasons why you should and 4 reasons you shouldn’t buy Insignia.
- And so much more…
Is Insignia a good TV brand?
Insignia is a good TV brand if you’re looking at its value. For watching, it’s a great TV, especially for its price. If you’re a gamer, you should avoid Insignia because of input lag issues. That said, don’t expect Insignia to last for a couple of years.
4 reasons why Insignia is a good TV brand
#1: It’s affordable
When I’m looking for a new TV, I always make sure to carry a checklist with me.
On that checklist, are the following things I need to consider:
- Display.
- Longevity.
- Price point.
- Operating system.
And, among those 4, Insignia already passes the price point.
Insignia TVs are cheap…
Ridiculously cheap.
In fact, here they’re against their closest mainstream competitors in the 55” segment:
| Brand | Insignia | Samsung | Sony | LG |
| Model | NS-58F301NA22 | QA55Q80AAKLXL | 55X7002G | 55UP7500PTZ |
| Display | QLED | Direct LED | Edge LED | LED |
| Resolution | 2160P 4K | 4K Ultra | 2160P 4K | 2160P 4K |
| HDR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Price in USD | $399.99 | $1903 | $1670.28 | $681.43 |
Note: This doesn’t take into account all of the functionalities that justify the price point.
However, if you’re just looking for a TV that you can watch movies and shows with…
You can’t go wrong with Insignia TVs.
#2: Fire TV and Roku TV
As I mentioned, I also look at the operating systems when I’m on the market for smart TVs.
And Insignia also ticks that off my checklist.
Because their smart TVs come with either Roku TV OS or Fire TV OS.
But why is that a good thing?
Roku
To understand why Roku TV is good, you’ll need a short history lesson.
Roku TV was initially developed at Netflix until they were dropped.
Not because they’re bad…
But because they’re so good that other streaming platforms wanted to be on it. And Netflix didn’t want that.
Now, they’ve become the go-to choice for external streaming devices.
They’re known for having a fast, minimalist UI and a wide selection of apps.
In fact, they won the first Emmy for Television Enhancement Devices.
Fire
On the other hand, Fire TV was developed by Amazon to compete with the likes of Roku.
While they may not be as highly regarded as Roku…
They still boast a collection of streaming services that can be installed on your TV.
And great customer support from Amazon themselves.
Not to mention that they can also connect to Amazon’s own smart home hub.
This brings us to…
#3: Amazon Alexa
Ever get too tired of standing up or looking for your remote?
You don’t have to worry about that with Insignia TVs.
Or, at least, with their models that use Fire TV.
Because they come equipped with Amazon Alexa.
How to use it
Calling Alexa is easy.
All you have to do is press the microphone button on your remote.
But, since Insignia has Fire TV, you can also call Alexa hands-free.
Just shout “Hey, Alexa” then your instructions. And you’re good to go.
As for what Alexa can do, you can consult this full list of commands as a guide.
#4: Simple remote controls
And the last reason to buy an Insignia TV is something that we often overlook…
Their remote.
Often, some TVs sacrifice functionality for minimalism.
And what happens is that you’ll have to press a bunch of buttons just to open a different app.
And, for my mother, who’s older than a calculator, that can be tough to remember. (Sorry, mom!)
But not Insignia.
Instead, they have buttons for the most common apps.
Like Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.
So that you can easily switch apps with one press.
4 common Insignia TV problems
#1: Amazon Prime
Have you ever come across a website where you need to sign up first before you can view it?
Annoying, right?
That’s the case for Insignia TVs with Fire OS.
From downloading apps to simply changing your settings…
An Insignia TV will bother you until you create an Amazon Prime account.
#2: Input lag
Do you plan on using Insignia for your PS5 or Xbox?
Unless you’re okay with bad input lag, don’t consider this option.
But first, what is it, and why is it so important for gaming?
Input lag is the amount of time a signal goes from your device to the screen.
Still don’t get it?
Simply put, it’s how much time it takes for your button press to reach the TV.
According to a review of PCMag, Insignia TVs can reach up to 112.7ms of input lag. In its game mode, it’s reduced significantly to almost a third: 45ms.
Are those numbers good or bad?
It’s bad. Really bad, considering that the optimal input lag should be around 20ms.
So, if you’re looking for a cheap TV to game with…
I suggest you look elsewhere.
Note: If you already bought an Insignia TV and your remote has an input lag, don’t worry.
Try this one-minute fix first:
#3: Display could be better
Across all reviews of Insignia online, one thing is constant:
It has bad contrasts.
Furthermore, reputable reviewers have also noted that it’s oversaturated.
Not only that, but it also has a blurring problem that comes with bad noise reduction.
Users have said that they can tweak the settings to fix some of these issues.
But not all of them, and so…
Since TVs are made for viewing, you decide if you can overlook these factors.
#4: Better alternatives for the price
Ultimately it comes down to this single question:
“Why buy Insignia when there are better options at this price?”
Here are some of them:
All of these TVs have been listed among the “Best Budget TVs” by several reviewers.
Frequently asked questions:
Are Insignia TVs made by Samsung?
Insignia TVs aren’t made by Samsung.
Instead, it’s one of Best Buy’s 8 home brands.
It’s worth mentioning, however, that Best Buy sometimes uses parts from other brands.
And that includes Samsung, who used to make Insignia’s panels.
Is Insignia TV a major brand?
Insignia TV isn’t a major brand. Or, at least, it depends on what you mean by “major brand.”
The trio of Samsung, Sony, and LG, in my opinion, are the only major brands in TV.
However, Insignia is still a household name because of its cheap prices.
It belongs in the same tier as other value TV brands like:
Is Insignia as good as Samsung?
Insignia isn’t as good as Samsung TVs.
Samsung is only worse than Insignia in one aspect: its price tag.
However, as the saying goes…
“You pay for what you get.”
In exchange for cheap prices, you won’t get much durability from Insignia.
The display will also always be better with Samsung.
And the audio should be the best in Samsung after they acquired both AKG and Harman. Two of the pioneering companies in audio research.
Not to mention Samsung’s active community.
Which makes DIY repairs and questions easier to answer.
What is better: Insignia or LG?
LG is better than Insignia.
If we’re ignoring the price points, LG wins by a mile in almost every side-by-side comparison.
LG has the better display and audio.
And they all come without the common Insignia issues like input lag.
However, Insignia deserves a point for having Roku or Fire, instead of LG’s webOS.
Which ranks among the slowest operating systems for TV due to bloat.