TV recording through some kind of computing device is very popular, and as Made to order MythTV states:

You can buy a TiVo, a TiVo-like video recorder, or a Microsoft Media center PC, but who knows how long you'll be able to keep/record all your shows - so - I usually try and get folks to take MythTV for a swing, an open source alternative.

I've been recording shows digitally now for more than three years. I originally used three boxes running Windows XP that ranSnapStream in the server room, with a Windows XP based box running on a Mini-ITX system in the lounge. It was comparatively quiet, but still need ventilation and the fan was annoying.