Thanks for the info, darcilicious! I am currently looking at the model you recommended plus others like it. I may also see whats available for use without a computer/hdd maybe just a TIVO or something. You have preferences between computer based or TIVO style?
I went with a computer + Hauppauge external HD-PVR + SageTV (no longer available); requires a cable set-top box in the mix but all my recordings are DRM-free and I can record anything my set-top box has access to.
If you want something leaning more towards plug-n-play, you probably want TiVo.