Podcast #1235: CES 2026

Podcast #1235: CES 2026

Update: 2026-01-09
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Description

On this week's show we look at the annual Consumer Electronics Show inLas Vegas Nevada. In years past there was more for us home theater fans but we still find some cool products that will eventually find their way into our homes.

News:

LG

Key Highlights

  • Return of the Wallpaper OLED TV (LG OLED evo W6) — LG revived its iconic ultra-thin "Wallpaper" design after a multi-year hiatus. The W6 is just 9mm thick, fully wireless (with a separate connection box up to 10 meters away), uses Hyper Radiant Color Technology for improved brightness and colors, and supports features like art display via Gallery+ service. It's marketed as reflection-free and significantly brighter than average OLEDs.
  • New OLED Lineup — Including the brighter flagship G6 (up to 20% brighter than the G5 with Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 panels and reduced reflections), split C6 series (with varying tech tiers), and claims of the world's first TVs supporting 4K 120Hz cloud gaming with low-latency controllers.
  • Micro RGB evo TV — LG's first flagship Mini-LED TV with Micro RGB technology for vastly expanded color range and brightness, available in large sizes including the "world's largest" Micro RGB LCD TV, the 130-inch R95H.
  • Gallery TV — A direct competitor to Samsung's The Frame, with anti-glare screens and curated art modes (designed with museum input).
  • CLOiD Home Robot — A standout AI-powered housekeeper robot demoed on stage. It performs complex chores like folding laundry, loading/unloading dishwashers, preparing simple meals (baking croissants), and coordinating with connected appliances for a "Zero Labor Home" vision.
  • LG Sound Suite (with Dolby) - Includes the H7 soundbar, optional M7/M5 wireless surround speakers, and W7 subwoofer. Allows free placement of speakers; the system auto-configures channels for optimal immersion, solving a major pain point in traditional wired or rigidly positioned Atmos setups.Hands-on reports highlighted its ease for real-world living rooms, delivering expansive sound without cables or furniture rearrangement.

Samsung

Key Highlights

  • World's first 130-inch Micro RGB TV (): The largest in their Micro RGB lineup, featuring next-generation color accuracy (100% Rec.2020 coverage), bold new design, HDR10+ ADVANCED support, Eclipsa Audio, and AI enhancements like conversational search, proactive recommendations, AI Football (Soccer) Mode Pro, and integrations with Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity. AI Soccer Mode delivers a more exciting gameday experience through AI-driven picture and sound tuning to stadium-level quality. AI Sound Controller Pro lets you raise or lower the volume of the crowd, commentary, or background music, providing a personalized listening experience for TV shows and movies. Users can simply make verbal requests, and any TV equipped with VAC – which includes Micro LED, Micro RGB, OLED, Neo QLED, Mini LED and UHD TV – contextually carries out those requests.
  • Expanded Micro RGB TV lineup: New sizes including 55-, 65-, 75-, 85-, 100-, 115-inch models, alongside upgrades to Neo QLED and OLED TVs 
  • The Freestyle+ portable projector: An upgraded AI-powered version with improved brightness, support for projecting on uneven surfaces (walls, ceilings, corners, curtains), and smarter entertainment features.
  • New audio products: Music Studio 5 and 7 wireless speakers (Bluetooth/Wi-Fi, unique designs), and soundbars like the HW-QS90H (all-in-one 7.1.2 with Quad Bass Woofer system).
  • Broader AI focus: Enhanced experiences in home appliances (e.g., Bespoke AI), TVs, and ecosystem integration.
  • Press releases 

Sony

No major announcements were made regarding Sony's traditional consumer products, such as new Bravia TVs, headphones, cameras, or PlayStation hardware. Sony's focus shifted toward the future of mobility and software-defined vehicles.

TCL

Key Highlights

  • X11L SQD-Mini LED TV - as its 2026 flagship. It features new "SQD-Mini LED" technology (Super Quantum Dot Mini-LED), emphasizing superior color accuracy and performance. Features 10,000 Nits, 20,000 dimming zones, 100% coverage of BT.2020 color gamut. Available initially in 98-inch and 85-inch sizes (75-inch later), with launches starting as early as January 2026. Some who have seen it are saying it rivals Micro RGB TVs from competitors like Samsung and LG, potentially challenging OLED in brightness and contrast.
  • A65K Design Series soundbar A compact 3.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos model with Bang & Olufsen tuning and wireless subwoofer.

Hisense

Key Highlights

  • RGB MiniLED evo Technology — Hisense introduced an evolved version of its RGB MiniLED backlight system, which adds a fourth primary color to improve accuracy and fill spectral gaps (especially in the 500-600nm range) for more natural and vibrant colors. This debuts in the flagship 116UXS large-screen TV, positioned for premium cinematic home viewing.
  • Expanded RGB MiniLED Lineup — The company is bringing RGB MiniLED to more accessible screen sizes and models, including new UR9 and UR8 series TVs, making the technology available beyond ultra-premium flagships.
  • Industry-First RGBY MicroLED Display — Hisense unveiled a new MicroLED prototype using four primary colors (Red, Green, Blue, Yellow), aimed at future ultra-large screens with enhanced color reproduction.
  • Laser Projection and Other Displays — Extensions of multi-primary color tech to laser projectors, emphasizing better color accuracy and flexible installations.
  • Additional Mentions — New projectors, smart home AI assistants, and support for advanced formats like Dolby Vision 2 on upcoming 2026 MiniLED models (via OTA updates).

Home Audio Announcements

Budget brand Ultimea surprised with the Skywave X100 Dual, a premium compact system boasting up to 9.2.6 channels across seven modular units.Focuses on high-channel-count immersion in a small footprint, positioning it as an affordable yet powerful alternative for space-constrained home theaters.

SVS R|Evolution SeriesAudio specialist SVS debuted the 3000 R|Evolution subwoofers and a new Dolby Atmos soundbar, demonstrated in a full 5.2.4-channel cabin setup for reference-level performance.

Klipsch Powered Speakers UpdateKlipsch refreshed its powered lineup with The Fives II, Sevens II, and Nines II, building on heritage horn-loaded designs with modern connectivity, plus concept teases for future innovations.Other mentions included Cambridge Audio's new active bookshelf speakers and various AI-enhanced EQ features across brands, but the Dolby Atmos FlexConnect implementations (especially LG's) stood out as the truly novel leap forward for effort

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Podcast #1235: CES 2026

Podcast #1235: CES 2026