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Question: How well does this TV interact with cable boxes (e.g., Comcast)? Can you search for content, control channel changes, etc?
Document: I also got both remotes which is really a good deal,  the smart remote works really good for moving  on the pad for the curser and the regular remote works well too as I would have expected from Samsung. It does have hand movement to control which I doubt most people will never use, and sound activation which unexpectedly changes the channel at times but has been handy a few times.... I give this TV a 99percent! happy I bought it
It has brightness that allows it to do well in non man cave environments unlike most plasmas. I didn't realize what I was missing with the VT and Kuro until I got the 8500. The detail it produces is amazing. The TV is much more of a smart TV than the VT. The apps are much better and it's ability to interact and control a cable or sat box is cool. I also like the small things like the LED power light is off when watching TV.
As said in other reviews the remote is difficult to use. Maybe I am new but the voice prompt keep popping up without being asked and the when I say Close Guide it changes the channel. The TV is connected to the cable box with HDMI but keeps forgetting this is the primary source and when I turn it on I have to select the HDMI again one out of three times. Once the TV is on I just use the cable remote for the channel.
HDMI Implementation - As I mentioned above, HDMI V1.4 allows to supported equipment to communicate via the HDMI cable and save the need of running extra cables between components. Another feature is the Audio Return Channel (ARC) which allow the TV to send the sound back to your AV receiver so you can hear the sound of the streaming content such as Netflix through your surround sound system rather than through the TV's speakers.
If you're attracted by all the bells and whistles, you may be disappointed. A number of the heavily touted features only work if you're running your cable directly into the TV. If you have to run through a cable box/DVR, the channel guide doesn't work, nor do the favorite channels or recommendations features. (This was confirmed by Samsung tech support. )The "voice recognition" doesn't seem to recognize many words. The "motion control" is like a poorly designed video game.
There are not many places you use numbers other than channel numbers - but there you use them a lot since the TV is smart enough to do a decent job of controlling my Comcast DVR.I have been persevering to master this remote for 6 weeks, but I am about to give up and get a Samsung full 48 key conventional remote that will work with this set.
After spending $2,400 on the TV, I wanted to be sure I loved the TV, and not just live with it. I'm still a Samsung fan, and will be replacing it with UN65F8000 very soon. Hopefully, better luck there. It won't fix the problem of the remote or some of the added features (voice control, RVU, etc), but that's okay. I just won't use the Samsung Remote or the quirky features.
Samsung as proven to lead the industry with their app rich Smart Hub. They offer tens of apps and continue to constantly adding new apps and content resources through frequent updates. Their user interface is extremely user friendly and easy to operate.8. Connectivity - This panel supports HDMI V1.4 which means you can control other devices that are connected to this panel using the smart remote control shipped with the TV.
I told the tv I use fios and now when it brings up suggestions, it actually changes the channel on the box. Really cool! !I am telling you...forget trying to saving a few hundred bucks and get this set. You will be so happy you did.Oh and regarding the remote, I really like it and its extremely functional
So, unless you're a certified ISF Calibrator, the average consumer (i.e. Me) won't have to make many changes, if any, at all. 'Dynamic' mode is eye-searingly bright, 'Standard' mode is a more toned-down version of 'Dynamic', 'Relaxed' mode seems to be some variation of an eco-friendly setting, and of course I already mentioned 'Movie' mode. One thing that has been highly touted concerning this panel is its ability to put out light, and you better believe it.
Answer: I played with this just a bit.  It did download guides (I have AT&T; Uverse), but trying to sift through the guide using the Samsung remote control was painful.  The guide also seemed to run very slow, and I would assume an IR blaster would be needed to output channel choices from the TV to the AT&T;/Cable box.  Overall, it was more hassle then it was worth, so I gave up on using the Samsung interface to control the cable box.