Guys and Gals I have a question.... With todays and the near futures movies and radio what would be best suited 5.1 or 7.1 systems? I'm looking at an Onkyo system (HT-S7409) but notice there are an equal amount of 7.1 systems. So for a short term system (3-5 years) what should I get and/or is there a better option as I can get this setup shipped for $479.00 to the house?

Thanks for the help!

Generally speaking, Home Theater in a Box (HTIB) systems don't give you very good performance for the price.

Although overall favorable, that system you linked doesn't inspire a lot of confidence when sorting the reviews by 'newest first' on Amazon.

I've been SUPER happy with:

Denon 1612 $200
Energy Take Classic 5.1 $400 or Take Classic 5.0 if you have your own sub for $249

so if you have a sub, spend $449, if you don't it's $600


I know it's $130 more than the HTIB you're looking at, but you'll keep a good sound system what, 5 years? That's a couple of bucks a month.

You can get a receiver with other features if you like, but the Take Classic speakers are small, and put out REALLY good sound.
Check some reviews and make your decision...maybe that Onkyo setup you linked is better than the latest Amazon reviews led me to believe.

AVSForum.com is a great resource