Watching / Recording live TV in OS X ?

First, let me apologize - I couldn't find a forum that really fit this question, so hopefully you folks can help.
I'm a long-time Windows user (i know i know .. boo boo), and I'm considering getting a iMac for our next computer. One of the features of Windows that I use quite a bit is the ability to both watch live TV and record TV programs through the Media Center app. Is there any similar applications available for macs that can provide the same kind of capabilities ? Free or otherwise.
thanks in advance !

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
Some TV stations offer viewing over Realplayer and/or Quicktime without DRM such as C-Span. http://www.realplayer.com/ has a free Realplayer for watching the Realplayer videos. Quicktime Player also has its own TV compatible stations. With the flip4mac plugin for Quicktime, you also get Windows Media Video compatible videos. Youtube will work directly with Safari. Use Google to find your favorite stations of all these formats. If you must watch Windows DRM video formats, you can install Windows on your new iMac with one of these virtualization engines on my FAQ*:
http://www.macmaps.com/macosxnative.html#WINTEL
Slingbox is Mac OS X compatible.
Apple's iTunes Store sells TV shows to view on iTunes and on http://www.apple.com/appletv/
And then you have http://www.elgato.com/ 's EyeTV hardware solutions which offer an on screen TV guide, a tuner, and the ability to record video and watch later on your Mac like a TiVo. Similar solutions for the Mac have come from Canopus, and Formac.
It really boils down to your favorite TV shows.
- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.
Message was edited by: a brody

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