Newbie needs help!

[paul_pci]

Think of your budget as a pie chart. Decide on your total budget, then allocate a portion to the receiver and another portion to the speakers, etc. you might need. Typically we advise people to dedicate a good chunk of the budget to speakers as they are going to contribute most significantly to the quality of sound you hear. You can get a solid receiver, as LJ suggest beginning at $400-600.

[Mr Peabody]

I know you said price is an issue but Cambridge Audio makes a nice HT receiver that does a good job for both music and movies. The sound I feel is a notch above the mass-market brands. They changed models not long ago and you can still find some of the old models new for around $500.00 or less. If that's out of your budget Denon I believe starts out at $199.00.