Tbh, I'm not that well informed about what the alternative options are, and not that sure how many rooms you can have it in, I've just got it in the living room and bedroom, but don't watch that much tv in the bedroom. The big plus for me us the storage (massive) and I can record four things at once and record a fifth.
I know that makes me sound like a TV addict, but we don't watch much live TV, and prefer to record something and watch it when it suits us. I sometimes look at my monthly sky bill and weep (I've got my landline and broadband with them too) but I know people who will spend more on a couple of weeks worth of fags.