Question 1

I see that this tv has RF In (Antenna/Cable) x 1 (rear). Does that mean I can forgo a cable box and plug directly into the tv?

Accepted Answer

Only to receive clear QAM channels.  Most cable providers encrypt the majority of their channels so a cablecard tuner is required, like in the TiVo boxes or a SiliconDust HD Homerun Prime.  The prime is a home network based tuner that allows desktops and laptops with windows media center to share the tuner.

Most cable companies charge $0 to $5 per month for a single multi-stream cablecard.  If you have a laptop that can handle it, you can use that as a DVR instead of renting a box.

Question 2

Would I be able to install and run XBMC on this TV out of the box?

Accepted Answer

I'm actually not sure.  The network integration is pretty plug-and-play, so if you're running a box as sort of an XBMC server/remote machine, you should be able to (though I will admit I haven't tried).  If you want to install it on the TV itself, I'm pretty sure that would require at least some tweaking with the firmware, though I'm definitely no expert when it comes to that.

I hope that helps some!

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