Here’s What Caught Ahn Hyo-Seop’s Eye at Samsung’s CES 2026 Showcase

Actor Ahn Hyo-seop understands how powerful a well-crafted scene can be. But at CES 2026, he experienced that impact from a new perspective — seeing those moments come to life through a truly cinematic home-viewing experience.

Visiting Samsung Electronics’ The First Look 2026 exhibition in Las Vegas, Ahn explored a range of new technologies designed to make watching, listening and interacting feel more immersive and personal.

Big Screen. Bigger Emotions.

The centerpiece of the Samsung booth was the 130-inch Micro RGB TV, winner of a CES Innovation Awards 2026 Best of Innovation. Built with sub-100-micrometer red, green and blue LEDs and a seamless floating-screen design, it delivers breathtaking clarity and color depth — qualities that amazed Ahn not only as a viewer, but as an actor.

“When I watch movies at home, there are always moments where I think ‘This really should be in a theater.’ But with a screen like this, I feel like you could fully immerse yourself at home.”

Inspired by Samsung’s 2013 design legacy, the 130-inch model pairs cutting-edge Micro RGB technology with a refined aesthetic, enabling the TV to serve as both a cinematic display and an object of art in the home.

Smarter Watching, Thanks to AI

Ahn also explored Vision AI, Samsung’s new suite of intelligent viewing features that tailor picture and sound based on content and user preferences.

He was especially intrigued by AI Soccer Mode, which uses real-time scene analysis to optimize visuals and sound, enhancing on-screen ball motion and adjusting commentary volume levels to match the moment. Viewers can even interact with the TV in real time to check stats, player bios and more through Vision AI Companion.

“The AI Sports feature caught my eye right away,” said Ahn. “I honestly thought this could be the next generation of how we experience sports.”

Music Studio 5: Where Sound Meets Style

Among the many products on display, one in particular became a personal favorite for Ahn: Music Studio 5, a Wi-Fi speaker designed in collaboration with renowned French designer Erwan Bouroullec, creator of Samsung’s The Serif.

Ahn, a self-professed speaker collector, was instantly drawn to the product’s elegant design and expressive sound.

“I already have six or seven speakers at home, so I was really trying to hold back, but the Samsung Music Studio products made me lose my self-control.”

Music Studio 5 was also recognized as Best Home Audio by CNET in its Best of CES 2026 awards, further underscoring its appeal as both a quality sound system and a design statement.

Sharpen Skills and Set the Scene: Fender and The Freestyle+

Ahn also tried out Fender Play TV, a guitar-learning app developed in collaboration with iconic instrument brand Fender. Previously available on Samsung mobile devices and tablets, the app now comes to life on large TV screens, inviting users to practice, play and dive into a richer, more immersive music-learning journey at home.

“Seeing a guitar at the exhibition today and picking it up after a long time brought back a really nice sense of nostalgia. It’s a hobby I used to really enjoy, but I put aside for a while. It definitely made me want to start again.”

He also explored The Freestyle+, a new portable projector that stole the spotlight at CES with its twice-as-bright display and exclusive AI OptiScreen technology, highly praised by CNN Underscored as Best of CES, for seamless setup to automatically adjust for uneven surfaces and colors, plus Vision AI Companion for conversational content interaction — a nod to Samsung’s continued innovation in personal entertainment.

Seeing the Screen in a New Way

Reflecting on his experience at the booth, Ahn shared what the visit meant to him personally.

“It’s an honor to start 2026 as a Samsung TV Ambassador,” he said. “Today reminded me why Samsung has stayed the global leader in TVs for 20 years — it’s not just about the technology. It’s about creating experiences that connect with people.”

And just like that, the actor known for bringing characters to life on screen walked away with a deeper appreciation for the screen itself.