Can't go too far wrong on the speakers with PSB or Paradigms. Last time I looked into the Bose, I was extremely disappointed, but I guess they may have improved in the last 7 years. Electronics don't matter too much, and if you hook up digital connection between DVD player and receiver, you can buy as cheap just about as cheap a DVD player as you want without losing SOUND quality. Some places to look at:
www.soundandvisionmag.com - Sound & Vision Magazine, formerly stereo review
www.hometheatermag.com - Home Theater Magazine
www.audioreview.com - user reviews of many AV products, like epinions.com
www.avsforum.com/avs-vb - forum full of AV geeks