I'm thinking about getting an All in Wonder so I can watch and record TV at home. The problem is that I have DirectTV satellite. Will I be able to use the All in Wonder in all its glory without having to buy a separate receiver?

I'm not sure about the AIW, but the Happauge WinTV cards (well most of them) come with an IR blaster that can change channels on your sateliite receiver so you can record TV.

I wouldn't recommend the AIWs. They're only supported by ATI's program. No Linux support, no support for 3rd party DVR programs (GBPVR, SageTV, ect). The WinTV cards work with pretty much anything, and the WinTV PVR-150 card (excellent card) can be had for $150

That card is pretty sweet and everything, but i'm still unclear on the set top box thing. The reason is that at my house we have 3 already, and none in my room where my computer would be. It seems like I would need to buy another box to be able to watch/record whatever I want without interfering with the rest of the house. Am I just not understanding? lol

You won't want the All-in-Wonder. While I've seen it work in Windows with other applications, it absolutley will not record anything but analog signals either from cable or antennas.

You'll want to look for a card that can decode satelite signals. Happauge has one, and an interface card to allow for PPV. http://www.dvbmaster.com/hauppauge_nexus.html

The main site emphasises they're targeted at the European market though. http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/prods_digital.html

You could likely find one that will work with your service. Otherwise you'll ned additional box.