Digital video capture cards and USB dongles can be had for less than $50 a piece. With such cheap hardware, turning a Linux server into a personal Digital Video Recorder (DVR) becomes very tempting. Of course, you don't just want to watch live TV but also pause it, setup automatic captures of those science programs that air at 3 am, or record the live network coverage of events you are planning to attend in person, so you can watch them at a more agreeable hour.