A week or so ago, I picked up one of these EyeTV hybrids, a little device that has a USB connector on one end and a cable connector on the other. Plug it into your computer, connect up the cable and you're watching TV. There's an online program guide so you can schedule recordings of upcoming shows--just like TiVo.

The device works with the Apple remote that comes with the new iMacs, Minis, and MacBooks. The best part is that it can automatically takes things you record and put them on your iPod (or at least into iTunes, to that they sync with the iPod). No hassle--just tell it to record and it's there.

The encoder doesn't seem particularly fast--VLC encodes video for my iPod faster, but since it's all automatic, I don't really care that it's slow.

The device even does HDTV. Combined with a Mac Mini, it would make a pretty great home entertainment center.