Best options for father

Hey Guys, I'm in a bit of a bind about trying to figure out the right setup for my father. I had an old computer that I am turning into a modest HTPC for him. I've gotten a new Mobo with a HDMI port and a wireless adapter so that he can get the internet. He is trying to cut some bills/cost out and I'm trying to figure out the best mixed with cheapest way to get the most out of the HTPC. The movie side is pretty much solved as he will just rent movies or he will stream his netflix. The cable is what is boggling me. He doesn't really want to pay for cable anymore if he doesn't have to. I tried something like www.zinc.tv and while cool, I'm not sure the picture quality will work and you can't really watch live sports games on the major networks. Does anyone have any advice. I've heard some people say they use something like zinc.tv and hulu to get recorded tv shows and then get a cheap tv tuner card that will grab OTA basic cable for sports games and such. Any advice is appreciated.

I cut the cable 2 years ago.

Here's what I use now:

I have tuners that grab OTA
Netflix for streaming older programs
Hulu for TV not on the OTA channels
For the rest not available on the above sources, I subscribe to TV seasons on iTunes.

The only shortcoming is that I have not found a suitable cable/satellite alternative for live sports if it isn't broadcast on FOX, CBS, NBC, ABC.

I've seen some pay services that stream live sports, but I've never taken the plunge. I'd be very interested if you find a solution for your father.