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The BabelTV features two integrated Freeview tuners, that can be used to record television shows on the box's 160GB hard disk. It includes standard PVR features, such as the ability to pause live television and record every episode in a series.

The box also comes with a wireless keyboard, allowing users to take advantage of the PC functionality from the sofa. The Xubuntu Linux-based system comes pre-loaded with software such as Open Office, Firefox and a VoIP application.

The BabelTV can connect to other devices on the home network, allowing users to transfer files from other PCs in the home, or even watch shows recorded on another BabelTV box

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elsewhere in the home.

The device also includes USB ports, allowing owners to plug in printers, digital cameras or MP3 players. However, three of the four USB ports available are taken up by the two tuners and wireless keyboard, which will necessitate some device shuffling.

The BabelTV is connected to the home network via a wired Ethernet connection, although an optional wirless module will be made available, which uses powerline networking to ensure video quality isn't compromised. Users can get remote access to their files from any internet-connected PC.

The company behind BabelTV, Cambridge-based DaweVision, is keen to stress the user-friendliness of the device. The company claims techical glitches can be solved remotely by engineers, and that files are backed up on the company's servers, in case of hard disk failure. However, that storage comes at an additional cost of £1 per GB per month.

DaweVision also claims the device is greener than your average PC, with a power consumption of around 15W.

The device will go on sale from 6 November, priced £295. For more details and a video demonstration see the company's website.