HOLD ON! HOLD ON! - before you spend any money
if it's not an issue at the moment
what area do you live in?
http://www.europeantechwire.com/etw/2005/09/uk _confirms_201.html
at worst you have a year ... at best almost 5
by that time we could all be telepathic and living on mars!
By next year there will be newer better cheaper better (I already said that) units on the market.
At the moment some cheaper fv boxes don't even have a second transducer and so can't be connected to an external recorder ... but for a few pounds more ... you get more facilities
At the moment you can get TVs with built in freeview ... freeview boxes with internal hard disc .... an external unit with freeview + dvd recorder units with fv x2 hard disc + dvd recorders.
by next year ... when changeover hysteria starts to rise ... the manufacturers will be poised and ready to make a killing ... and the boxes will have even more possibilities
HDtv is rapidly spreading and blu-ray etc prices are dropping.
I'd say pop down to dixons, pc world, currys ... talk to a couple of sales persons ... surf a little and get familiar with the technology .... then decide where your hard earned cash will benefit you best.