Some basic info on writing between two computers

Hey,

So I'm thinking of building my own computer for gaming and internet purposes and my current one would do nicely in the living room for HT purposes.

What I would like to do is burn DVD's (HD and regular) on to the the gaming comp at the highest quality as possible and have those films music and whatever media instantly accessable by my current PC in the living room for display on the HD television via Windows Media Centre or some such program (although preferably WMC since I already have it).

I'd also like to be able to back stuff up (HD movies, series, programs whatever) from my Sky+ box (Tivo equivalent in UK and Ireland) using the HT computer and send it back to my gaming machine.

Is doing all of this as simple as establishing a network between the two and opening a folder on the gaming comp for the HTPC to access. Or is it more complex than this.

Do I need to stream media from one computer to the other (especially when it comes to HD media). Can this be done with just two computers or would I need a server as well.

What methods could I consider for achieving this and could it be done wirelessly or would I have to cable the network.

Thanks for your help