Yes, a succinct answer
I also have an ATI AIW 9800 Pro and I'm not sure I understand the problem. The "Guide" is just that, a TV guide. I've never tried recording with it open. Maybe that's the difference. I also have to have the "TV" part running to record...I figure that's just the way it works: it has to be "turned on" to work.
I looked around in the settings / options and don't see a "Shutdown when finished" option. So, as with other programs that don't shut down when finished, I do like reboot suggests, I turn off the monitor when unattended for long periods of time.