1-stratus mini's might be the best speaker psb has made!
2-You need a good sub for the 5.1 recordings. Not only will it keep your mains from picking up the slack, it will keep the amp driving the mains from overworking.
3-If you buy a used dvd, make sure you get a warranty. Even 30 days will cover any shipping problems. Personally, I would just buy new so you get the best features and the longest possible use before it's obsolete. Features you need to consider: Bass Management, SACD, DVD-A, 24/96 or 192, dual outputs, coax and toslink digital outs.
4-You will like movies better even if you use tiny radio shack speakers for the rears. Hell, go to a garage sale and get anything. It will be fun.
5-The receiver will need replaced eventually. Even though you don't have pre-amp outs, you should still have a tape loop output if you really need a pair of stereo outputs to an integrated. This is a pain in the butt though since the speakers can only be hooked up to the integrated and its volume control.
WHAT WOULD I DO: Buy a nice dvd. Blow the rest of the budget on the best used receiver that you can get with pre-amp outs. You can use the dvd for dolby decoding..... and use the 5.1 inputs in the receiver. Eventually, you will be able to add external amps as your budget allows. If you spend the $350 on a dvd, you will be amazed how much receiver you can get for $650. That buys one heck of a used denon unit.
2-You need a good sub for the 5.1 recordings. Not only will it keep your mains from picking up the slack, it will keep the amp driving the mains from overworking.
3-If you buy a used dvd, make sure you get a warranty. Even 30 days will cover any shipping problems. Personally, I would just buy new so you get the best features and the longest possible use before it's obsolete. Features you need to consider: Bass Management, SACD, DVD-A, 24/96 or 192, dual outputs, coax and toslink digital outs.
4-You will like movies better even if you use tiny radio shack speakers for the rears. Hell, go to a garage sale and get anything. It will be fun.
5-The receiver will need replaced eventually. Even though you don't have pre-amp outs, you should still have a tape loop output if you really need a pair of stereo outputs to an integrated. This is a pain in the butt though since the speakers can only be hooked up to the integrated and its volume control.
WHAT WOULD I DO: Buy a nice dvd. Blow the rest of the budget on the best used receiver that you can get with pre-amp outs. You can use the dvd for dolby decoding..... and use the 5.1 inputs in the receiver. Eventually, you will be able to add external amps as your budget allows. If you spend the $350 on a dvd, you will be amazed how much receiver you can get for $650. That buys one heck of a used denon unit.