I'm moving into my own apartment next week near the university I study at. I'm planning on setting up a pretty nice home theater system and I would like some advice. I've already bought all the video components I need. This is what I have so far:
  • Sharp M20X DLP Projector (front projector, 4:3, 1024x768, 3x color wheel)
  • ReplayTV 4504 (I bought the refurbished unit a few days ago from replaytv.com. I preferred the 4000 series over the 5000 because the 4000 has a RGB VGA out instead of component which is more convenient for my projector)
  • A PC with a DVD drive (PC can do better scaling then a normal DVD player to output in the projectors native 1024x768 progressive, good for playing computer games on the big screen and playing DivX movies as well)
  • Sega Dreamcast (has VGA out)
  • Nintendo Gamecube (has a component out 480p signal)
  • I bought all the cables and switch boxes needed to connect these 4 devices to my projectors single DVI-I port

So video is complete, now I need to get a good sound system, and I'm not sure what would be best. I would like to get a 5 speaker surround sound system. I have a max of $900 to spend on it. I also currently have a Bose Acoustimass 3 in my bedroom that I think would make good rear surround speakers in my new setup. Its 2 Bose single cubes (not direct/reflecting) and a 6" sub with a max of 100 watts per channel. I definetely want to stay away from Bose for the rest of the system in regards to their ridiculous price and rather poor bass response. Is it a good idea in regards to quality if I mix brands by having Bose in the rear and something else in the front, or should I scrap my Bose idea?

I'm thinking I want my 2 front speakers to be floor standing speakers with a 10" low, 5" midrange, and 2" for high range sounds or some other measurement along those lines. I think these types of speakers still provide superior quality to the cube+sub speakers that have become so popular now. But what brand would be best for my budget? And what should I get for the center speaker (and rear if Bose is bad)?

What kind of receiver should I get? I need one that supports 5 speakers, Dolby Prologic I and II and Digital, has 2 or more component inputs, and digital connections. I also need a new sound card for the computer that supports surround sound. Do digital sound connections carry surround sound? If so, I think one with optical outputs might be best as past experience taught me that connecting a computer to an audio system always introduces ground loop noise. Are there sound cards like that?

I have a 10% off purchases over $200 in Circuit City coupon that excludes Polk, Bose, and Velodyne in its small print. So I could make use of that for at least a receiver (and speakers if I don't get Polk or Velodyne).