Windows 7: How to detect mediacenter recording?

I have several HDhomeruns, and I would like my pc and other hardware to be ultra energy efficient. My system runs 24/7.

I would like to turn the HDhomeruns off when they are not in use (done via eventghost and on/off power switch). However, for this to work the system MUST turn on my HDhomeruns before a recording starts and be able to turn off the HDhomeruns after the recording ends.

How can I do this - is there a way for me to detect the red "recording" symbol in the tray for instance?

I have noticed that the next scheduled recording always has the same name in the windows 7 scheduler - is it possible to make an event that starts before this schedule?