I want to use my monitor as a TV

Hauppage 2250 Media Center Kit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

You can operate independent on your cable box. It has 2 Digital/Analog tuner which you can use to record and watch HDTV. You can connect directly to your cable line or cable box.

You can use it on conjunction w/ your cable box. The media center kit will enable you to control your cable box feed the show to one of the 2250 video/audion inputs.

This an excellent unit. I had mine early 2008. I use it as my PVR and DVR. It works well w/ Windows Media Center. I tried it on Vista and W7.

Or you can try this HDMI capture card from Hauppage
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

You can operate this in conjunction w/ your cable box. It capture and record HD video/audio on its HDMI inputs. It has a breakout cable for traditional component analog video (also HD capable).

Both devices media center kit will enable you to control your Cable box.

Here's hauppage webpage:
http://www.hauppage.com/site/products/prods.html

The thing that i like on these hardwares.... Your Hard Drive Space is the limit of your recording. I have recorded shows in HD up to 30Gbyte single file.... 4 hour event like the super bowl or world cup... All in HD.

I placed one 2 Terabyte drive just for my PVR/DVR space... No issues it keeps recording all the show i want it to record.

lol i have my 55 inch hooked up to my pc it works great get a graphics card that has hdmi and plug it in easy as 123 lol

lol u need to hook it up to speakers i have mine hooked up to 2 systems 1 1000 watt rca and 1 5.1 surround it sound amasing also get a good sound card like 7.1 unless u have built in 8 channel in motherboard