[Hampshire] Digital video archiving

Hi all

I mailed this list a few months back with something similar - but please bear with me - this question is slightly different...

What's the best method for archiving video? Most of us I guess will have some form of PVR be it freeview, cable or satellite. Clearly there's a PC at work inside them but I don't know of a way to actually get at the files that you create when you record a broadcast. My Humax box for instance has both ethernet and USB - but I've not been successful in looking at what's "under the hood".

The reason I ask is it strikes me that the method we're supposed to use seems to be blank DVD or Blu Ray. Fine - but if you have a programme you want to keep - you physically have to play the Sky+ recording (or whatever) into the DVD. This does allow editing out of adverts but the chances are that if you want to keep something this means you have to watch it twice - the second time being to archive it.

I'd probably settle for a system that transfers from PVR to DVD by copying a file rather than making a DVD recording of a PVR broadcast so to speak but is there a simpler way? I don't have a nice enough looking case so I've not tried a media centre PC, MythUbuntu or some such solution.

Cheers
Rob