Emerson Televisions?

[zokudu]

Hey there everyone. I just got one of these for a steal. I have never heard of emerson televisions before so I'm guessing its a Walmart house brand?

I'm not going for the whole Home Theater deal just a television for my room to watch tv and play PS3 on. Can I go wrong with one of these for ~150?

 

[CallMeJoe]

...I have never heard of emerson televisions before so I'm guessing its a Walmart house brand?

Not a WalMart brand, just a "budget" marque for Funai Electric. I've seen their products around for at least 20 years.

I'm not going for the whole Home Theater deal just a television for my room to watch tv and play PS3 on. Can I go wrong with one of these for ~150?

At $150 for a 32" LCD, it's hard to go wrong if it has a decent picture and doesn't die 2 minutes after the warranty expires.

 

[Thump553]

If you go back to the early days of TV (back when, believe it or not, TVs were made in the USA) Emerson was one of the leading brands. Now, as CallMeJoe pointed out, some offshore company bought the name for whatever prestige it still has.

 

[lupi]

what they said, this is not a new name by any stretch.

 

[ComputerWizKid]

If you go back to the early days of TV (back when, believe it or not, TVs were made in the USA) Emerson was one of the leading brands. Now, as CallMeJoe pointed out, some offshore company bought the name for whatever prestige it still has.

Ah the good 'ole days Which I miss although I am a youngster LOL
All of the brands that were good in the Old days of TV/Radio are now Made in China CRAP
I saw a TV (Before the CRTS totally disappeared) that said SanSui when I think of SanSui I think of a Monster Receiver of the 1970's not a POS CRT TV

 

[0roo0roo]

one of those zombie brands now, as said, probably funai or someone else bought the rights to use the name.

 

[0roo0roo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerson_Radio

 

[Modelworks]

Emerson like many others now is made by someone other than the name on the box.
Others are:
RCA
Magnavox
Zenith

 

[kornphlake]

I can't remember the story exactly but there was something about the Emerson brand name, during it's long and clouded history it was an American built product, owned by a top tier Japanese corporation (perhaps Sony.) The Emerson product was built on production lines identical to the production lines in Japan, using materials identical to the materials used in Japan, the only difference was the laborers spoke English instead of Japanese and the American product had an Emerson name. The Emerson product had poor reliability and had to be sold at deep discounts compared to the Japanese product because of the lack of quality. The Emerson brand name was eventually sold to the highest bidder and the American factories were closed.

At least that was the story I remember one of my professors telling, it could be entirely wrong. Today there is an American Emerson (http://www.emerson.com/en-US/Pages/Default.aspx) I am unclear of it's relationship to the Emerson who markets consumer electronics, I do believe they are entirely separate entities.

Edit: Just read the wiki, if the wiki is correct my professor was full of it, or I'm getting the Emerson name confused with some other low end electronics brand.

 

[0roo0roo]

kinda like this
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/403/nummi

 

[Modelworks]

RCA used to be a quality company before GE took control and sold it off later as Thomson Consumer Electronics. Before that RCA was RCA -Victor like you see on all the old phonographs with the 2 dogs named nipper and chipper. RCA and Victor got into a dispute over some of their patents and split, RCA staying here and Victor going to Japan and forming JVC (Japan Victor Company).

 

[sivart]

Zenith is still an okay brand because it was taken over by LG.

The other's I'd pass on.

 

[CallMeJoe]

FWIW, Funai Electric also purchased the consumer electronics marques of once-respectable Philips, Magnavox and Sylvania. They also own the bottom-rung Symphonic brand.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Zenith is still an okay brand because it was taken over by LG.
The other's I'd pass on.

Thanks for the info. I knew Zenith had become another company's budget brand; it's reassuring to know it's LG. I might actually consider a Zenith if I get a flat-screen for my bedroom.

A side note: Those who were around the computer hardware market in the early '90s might remember a couple of dirt-cheap Korean brands, Lucky and Goldstar. LG has definitely overcome humble beginnings.