Media Centre PC selection advice please

[Wing Commander Fowler]

Hi chaps,

I am looking to reduce the clutter in my house beneath the television and leap into the beyond to turn my media experience into something slightly special. I have been watching some of these under tv style media centre pc's and am worried (since I have never seen a demo) that they may not supply a decent picture to the tv as they use a tv card for tuning. My only experience of pc tuner cards was an early hauppage and wintv unit displayed on my monitor and I remain to this day distinctly unimpressed.......

So, does anyone watch tv through one of these and if so do they really do what it says on the tin?

Some further questions: I have seen playstation 3's which have blue ray and internet access and some usb ports but you can't record from tv and use them as a pvr I believe.

Ok - here's the kit I have at the moment: A wireless network via a philips wireless g router, 2 laptops (wireless enabled) an internet radio and some philips dect house mobile handsets which we use for skype. Two tv's in seperate rooms, each with a seperate satellite receiver (no terestrial tv here). A Philips 80Gig pvr.

My wish is to be able to wirelessly share all media around the house and to base this all on a central media centre pc in the lounge by the router. I would like this media centre to become the pvr and to be able to see the internet on this lounge tv and maybe emails and perhaps games.

I envisaged maybe getting an additional external 500gig or terra hard drive and whilst looking for these I stumbled across some media centre units no bigger than an external hard drive but some reviewers on DABs site said they had had big problems with connection to the network? I also don't think they will function as recorders.

I'm guessing someone here will have done something similar and look forward to receiving advice (preferably with links to descriptions of the equipment please).

ORAC!!!! Where are you? If ya still in the middle of the country do ya fancy a trip out to the coast to sort me out hehe!