Thanks, Parapunter, looks like you and I are in the same boat, got a sprog and a house to renovate which means my Avian Amour hasn't seen the light of day since.
So, the decision is which Media Centre to buy, A couple of digital tuners and the fastest processor/board/ram that money can buy would appear to be the minimum plus a vast hard drive. I've seen one system that can be customised for my personal needs for about £600 which would include a 320G hard drive.
Thanks again. T.