Samsung SEK-1000/ZA 2013 Evolution Kit

IMPORTANT PRE-PURCHASE INFO:The 2013 Evolution Kit does not support 87 apps that were available through Smart Hub on 2012 Samsung TVs. The PDF at Samsung US website is on the SEK-1000 page/support/manuals/Deleted App. List (ver.1.0). [Direct link is not allowed for sites off Amazon.]"After you have installed the 2013 Evolution Kit in your 2012 TV, the listed applications will no longer be available. If you have any questions or want a refund for an app that is not supported, please call us at 1-800-SAMSUNG 1-800-726-7864 for assistance."Eighty-seven 87 are listed. While most are less-used, a few are worth noting UPFRONT: Skype, Google Maps, MLB.TV, YouTube, & Minesweeper are among the 87. A newer app version will possibly be available to download for these Apps again, but no guarantees...and perhaps needing a NEW purchase.Good video & detailed text review can be found on CNET Reviews & possibly other sites. Worth hearing the 'pros' POV.UPDATE 7-26-13---I think the folks at Samsung deserve a bit of praise. When I wrote these comments, the note about Apps not working with some 2012 TV's was buried in the Support page tab [Samsung site, NOT Amazon.com] and not on the features pages that pre-purchasers would likely look at. Samsung has corrected that oversight. The note can now be found at the bottom of the SEK-1000 'features' page tab. Further, the note is now located on the 'features' page tab of my actual 2012 TV. [Don't know about other prior models that offer Evo Kit option.] Samsung deserves credit for making this improvement...and trusting the common sense purchaser to balance improvements & drawbacks before purchase.NOW UPGRADED REVIEW TO FIVE STARS! UPDATE 9-12-13---Received and installed the Kit on 9/5/13, used now for one week. Have to say the Smart TV interface is far better than the 2012 that I was very used too; faster because of the increased cache & hardware up from dual-core to quad-core processor. The new remote that is included is more responsive & accurate than last year's. The voice and motion programs are improved. I am actually using the voice smart control, unlike the limited 2012 version. Kit installation does mean any prior pro-calibration is lost. If your technician left you with the settings and unlocked, it is easy to restore the settings. Kit new menus will take some time to learn, but they are expanded and worth the asking price. Finally, since this review is originally about lost apps, worth noting the 87 listed originally as unworkable are now down to less than 2 dozen. Presume app developers made some adjustments.

I read all the bad reviews and ordered it anyway.. I thought maybe I could get it to work. I connected it and it started installing as soon as I turned on the TV. What it was doing is installing firmware that was older than what I already had but at the time I didn't know that. On step 2 of the configuration, it allows the selection of wireless, wired, or no network. Before putting in the EVO, my TV would connect to my wireless network as soon as I turned it on and there are about 10 other wireless networks in the area besides mine. On step 2, this thing can't find any wireless networks.I got on my pc and talked in Samsung chat to Samsung. They said check my firmware and I told them I can't do anything while in configuration. Samsung said select No Network and let it finish the configuration which it did by skipping all the next steps. So then I check my firmware and it's 1003. Samsung said it should be 1051 so I remove the EVO and my TV starts up and connects to my wireless. Then I do a software update. Yep, it loads 1051.Turn TV off and put EVO back in... installing then to step 2 again... no wireless networks again. Ok, this time I select No Network.. it skips all steps... I look at firmware and hmmm, it's 1003 again. That's when I knew the kit was installing old firmware.Ok, not quitting yet so I decide to put my router and cable modem next to the TV and wire it by Ethernet.... I left the EVO kit in and started setup again and it went to Step 2. Told it wired and it went through all steps correctly, setting up my cable box and provider. It finished and did a firmware/software update, This time it said it was 0000 so I let it do it even though it didn't look right. It did that and came back on so then I starting looking at my new Smart TV.I checked to see if it could see any wireless networks first and it couldn't find any. Next I look at the SmartGuide for TV channels... the list guide looks almost exactly like my cable box guide... Ok, what's the benefit here? Nothing. I see a lot of movie icons on the screen in the On TV SmartGuide... I select some and guess what... that's not on TV, it's where you can rent or buy one... THAT'S STUPID.I want something to tell me something I don't know. Like what's on TV without having a 999 line list that would take hours to look at. That's what the stupid cable box does. I already know where I can buy or rent movies so that's a lot of wasted useless screen space.I packed this junk up and returned it... A word to Samsung. I think they need to do some cleaning up at their company for releasing such a piece of JUNK. It makes my Dumb TV Dumber.

I was debating on wether to get the evolution kit or not. I'm happy to report that it was what I expected the installation was straight forward took fifteen minutes very easy it installed and updated with no problem. I did have to go to Samsung and get firmware version 1004 and install it using a thumb drive but that was easy. All is working great love the new smart hub and the new remote. I was already familiar with the remote as it's the same one I have with my new PN51F5500, so no learning curve there. The picture quality is about the same on my PN60E8000 AFTER I installed the evolution kit the only thing is the blacks seem a little better. The smart hub does load faster and all apps are working. You will have to sign in again if you have Netflix, Vudu, hbogo, hulu, and Amazon Prime, as this is a new smart hub.