Apple TV as DVR/PVR?

Why would it take too much time.

Admittedly it takes a little extra time to convert (about 20 minutes for a 1 hour show on my system, longer on others) but the process is completely automatic. Set it to record a show, set it to export to tv, after the show has finished recording it starts the conversion immediately, puts it into itunes and is then available via streaming

You record it on your computer, it's automatically added to itunes and hence is automatically available on your tv via the tv.

If you'd rather have it recorded from your tv, then you want a mac mini under your tv (which will also play your DVD's) using the elagato. Same process, eye tv adds it to itunes from where you can watch it via front row or share it to any other mac/pc in the house through either itunes or front row (mac only).

By unit I assume you mean elgato stick. Yes you can't connect anything to the tv itself.

Yes that sounds very interesting and quite impressive, elgato and apple have always worked very well together, occasionally they step on each others toes (elgato eyehome was basically a predecessor of the tv in a very limited way)

That device sounds just what you are looking for, although it still seems to rely on an external device (HD or Mac) to record to, or maybe I'm missing something.

even I a, looking for something that is a standalone DVR. Like the Elgato EYETV but should have its own internal Hard Disk to record to. So that even when I am away, it shoudl automatically record what I have programmed onto its own hard-disk, something which I can later transfer to my Mac/Burn on DVD. Any solutions like this? as far as I know, none of Elgato's products have a built in recorder.

Can apple tv do this?

if you can do without having to burn from your mac

most dvdRecorders today come with 160GB hd's
as awell as the possiblity to record from their hd to a dvd
or directly to a dvd

This may be a stupid question, but why not just buy a Tivo?