Add an HDTV tuner to your PC for $29 (after rebate)
Turn your PC into an HDTV with the KWorld PlusTV HD Hybrid Stick, a USB TV tuner that's on sale for $29 (after a $40 mail-in rebate).
OK, so maybe now is not the best time to add a TV tuner to your PC. Thanks to those striking writers, there's not much left worth watching, time-shifting, or recording. Still, the day will come when Battlestar Galactica, Lost, and 30 Rock come back to us, so it's best to be ready.
I was pretty stoked about that Viore HDTV tuner from a couple weeks ago, but I found an even better deal: the KWorld PlusTV HD Hybrid Stick 330. This USB tuner can pull in analog signals from the precious cable-TV cable or digital over-the-air HD broadcasts from the included antenna (though you're almost always better off with a set of rabbit ears or an outdoor antenna). Let me tell you, once you've tasted the sweet, sweet nectar of free high-def television, it's hard to stomach that cable bill.
The PlusTV doesn't come with a remote, but it does include an additional input for capturing video from analog sources (like VCRs). Plus, it's compatible with Windows Media Center. The tuner will set you back $69 plus shipping, but there's a $40 mail-in rebate. PCs make awesome DVRs; now's your chance to experience it on the (super) cheap.