It’s been a great year for consumer tech, with some standout releases from some of our favorite brands. With new releases just around the corner, we’re excited to see what’s on the horizon. For now, I wanted to highlight a few products that caught my attention this past year. I’ll even showcase a couple of products that have been around for a while but deserve to be mentioned among the very best home entertainment gear available.
My Favorite OLED TV: Samsung S95F
Regardless of the display technology used, Samsung is a TV powerhouse. Samsung is not only a massive producer of TVs, it’s an innovator who isn’t afraid to think outside of the box (see what I did there?). Building off last year’s very popular S95D series, the S95F brings back the matte screen for another year with the same goal in-mind, to reduce glare and reflections, allowing the TV to truly shine in light-filled viewing environments. OLED TVs offer perfect black levels, and with the S95F’s ability to display high real-scene and dynamic brightness levels, the images it produces deliver superb contrast and depth. Available in a variety of screen sizes, from 55 to 83 inches, the S95F is at home in any viewing environment.
My Favorite Mini-LED TV: Sony Bravia 9
While OLED TVs have a loyal following, it’s hard to deny some of the advantages that Mini-LED TVs offer. Namely, screen size to dollar ratio and their ability to get super bright. Sony is a TV giant, and the Bravia 9 is the best Mini-LED Sony has ever made in my opinion. Not only do you get Sony’s excellent picture processing, but this TV can reach brightness levels that most OLED TVs can only dream of, making it a great choice for rooms with a lot of natural light. While the Bravia 9 can’t match an OLED TV’s black levels and dark room performance, it comes close, delivering a truly cinematic experience thanks to its local dimming technology that keeps blooming at bay and brings dark scenes to life. OLED TVs are also the king of wide viewing angles, but the Bravia 9’s X-Wide Angle technology help viewers who sit off-center still enjoy good picture quality from the TV’s VA LCD panel. Although this model was technically released last year, it continues to blow us away. While you can find TVs that can get brighter than the Bravia 9, its overall performance is hard to beat.
My Favorite Projector: BenQ W5800
The BenQ W5800 really impressed me in 2024 and it continues to shine brightly in 2025. On paper, the W5800 isn’t the brightest DLP Laser projector at just 2600 lumens. But brightness isn’t the only thing that gives an image its “wow factor”, image processing and color reproduction also play important roles, and the W5800 is a stellar performer thanks to its DCI-P3 performance, HDR image optimization with HDR10+ support, and calibrator friendly ISFccc capability. Professional calibration support is a great option, but not a requirement as the W5800 is designed to look great out of the box thanks to its HDR tone mapping, grayscale tracking, and Filmmaker mode, allowing you to enjoy 4K content as the creator intended. While TVs are the more popular living room and day to day option, when it comes to dedicated theaters and large viewing environments, projectors still offer the most immersive experience; and with support for screens up to 200”, the W5800 is ready to be the heart of your home theater.
My Favorite Portable Projector: Leica Cine Play 1
Leica’s Cine Play 1 portable laser projector truly caught me by surprise, in a good way. When I reviewed the Cine Play 1 earlier this year, I was blown away by the image quality it delivered in comparison to dedicated home theater projectors. Factor in the Cine Play 1’s ability to travel with you, and you have a winning combination that’s hard to beat. Leica is a company that’s known for its high-quality optics, and it’s reassuring to know that when you see the Leica badge outside of the photography world, you can expect the same attention to detail and first-class experience. The Cine Play 1 supports an onscreen resolution of 3840 x 2160 (UHD) and it’s compatible with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision content. If you do decide to travel with the projector, it’s equipped with Wi-Fi, Apple AirPlay 2, and has dual 10W speakers onboard.
My Favorite Soundbars: Samsung Q990F and Sonos Arc Ultra
The only thing tougher than deciding which projector I liked most was choosing a soundbar. So much so, I chose two, but with good reason as I believe both make a compelling case based on your needs and ecosystem.
Although Samsung is best known for its TVs, their Q990-series soundbars have been highly regarded for years—and for good reason. The Q990F is one of the most immersive soundbar systems ever made with support for up to 11.1.4 Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks—and unlike some systems, the wireless subwoofer and speakers are included. If you have a compatible Samsung TV, the soundbar’s Q-Symphony technology allows it to also utilize the TV’s built-in speakers, offering seamless integration. On its own though, the Q990F delivers the kind of powerful sound that rivals dedicated systems that feature more components and a heftier price tag. Samsung really knocked this one out of the park and we’re excited to see what comes in 2026, but for the time being the 990F is ready to bring your home theater audio to life.
Still going strong in 2026, the Sonos Arc Ultra was released in the 2nd half of 2024 and we reviewed it here. The original Arc was a personal favorite of mine, having reviewed it several years ago. So, when the new Arc Ultra was announced, we were excited with the sonic enhancements it promised to deliver, such as better bass performance, a bonus for users who opt not utilize a subwoofer. If you’re tied into the Sonos ecosystem however, you can add the Ultra to your existing whole home music environment as well as add additional speakers like the new Sonos 4 Sub for extra low frequency impact and a pair of Era 100s to serve as surround speakers, creating a complete home theater soundbar system. Sonos’ recent app update offers a stable experience for all your connected speakers.
As is the case with the Sonos Arc Ultra, these next two products also weren’t recently released but still offer some of the best performance you can get and are readily available to take your home entertainment experience to new heights.
My Favorite Disc Player: Panasonic DP-UB820
Have you heard the rumor? Blu-ray is dead—again. While there’s no slowing down streaming media, there’s still a compelling case for choosing physical media, especially for enthusiasts who want the best picture and sound quality available. This 4K Ultra HD Panasonic Blu-ray player is rock solid, has HDR tone mapping support built-in, and is compatible HDR, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision discs. I’m hoping Blu-ray sees a resurgence like what we’ve seen with vinyl, as display technology advances, we need devices like the DP-UB820 Blu-ray player to deliver the very best picture quality your display is capable of. If your display supports 3D, this player has you covered there as well.
My Favorite Streaming Player: Apple TV
While there are a variety of great streaming devices on the market, the Apple TV has been my personal favorite for a number of years. Not only does it support Dolby Vision, HDR, and HDR 10+, but it also boasts Dolby Atmos playback, dialogue enhancement features, and one of the cleanest user interfaces on the market. Apple users will feel right at home with the Apple TV as it offers a layout that iOS users are already accustomed to, and I believe non-Apple users will still appreciate its clutter free experience. Like Sonos, the ecosystem is where Apple really shines. Allowing you to have a centralized location for all your personal media including photos and music, and even allowing you to use your iPhone as a FaceTime camera. With wide developer support and frequent software updates, the Apple TV is one of the best investments you can make in home entertainment today, even if it’s a few years old.
2026 is Here
Whether it’s TVs, projectors, soundbars, or streaming devices, we’re happy to see that manufacturers continue to push the performance envelope year after year. We're excited for all the new tech launching in 2026, and we're looking forward to sharing our thoughts with you.
