" I'll restate my original advice: get the latest issue of Consumer Reports
and read up on the newest TV technology since it sounds as if that will be
by far the single biggest item in your budget. Each technology has its
pros
and cons and you have to consider the question of getting high definition
now or later. Screen size is not as simple as it sounds since you need to
consider how far away you'll be as well as how much off-axis viewers might
be.

There are plenty of good receivers - Onkyo, Denon, Harmon-Kardon, Pioneer,
Yamaha, Kenwood, etc. - get one with at least 80 watts/channel RMS all
channels driven. Most receivers are tested using 8 ohm impedance speakers
which are the norm. However, a few speakers may be as low as 4 ohms and
that
can cause problems for some receivers. Get 6.1 or even 7.1 but bear in
mind
that means either 6 or 7 passive speakers plus a subwoofer will be
required
to get the benefit. Speaking of subs, you'll want a powerful one for the
low
frequency effects in DVD movies - Hsu makes some exceptionally good value
ones. I happen to like their Ventriloquist speaker set too but there are
plenty of good choices for front, center and surrounds. Decent DVD players
are pretty cheap these days. You can even get "universal" players with
DVD-A
and SACD playback for as low as $100 if those music formats are of
interest
but then also make sure your receiver has the correct inputs for the
individual analog cables those formats use. If you have a turntable
requiring phono inputs, make sure you have them on your receiver - many
don't anymore.

Thx , this is what I am looking for , some basic advice. One question. Since
I will want to listen to music perhaps even more than watching movies, are
there any further pointers you would like to give me?