Save your money and go with the Sony XBR4, there is virtually no significant difference in the picture from the XBR5. Unless you have money to burn, save the extra $1k and spend it on other equipment. Note that the Samsung LCD TV now has a higher glare screen as compared to the Sony. So if the TV will be facing any windows or lights, you may want to go with the Sony. Both the Samsung and Sony have comparable pictures.

Buy your audio equipment online if you can. You will save alot of money. As far as the TV is concerned, I would buy it locally in case there are problems.

Buy your cables from www.bluejeancable.com They make very good cables at reasonable prices. I just bought their F type HDMI cables and they appear to be of high quality.

That Onkyo receiver is a good start. Go with a BluRay player instead of a hybrid as mentioned before. If you have some HD DVD's already then pick up a toshiba HD player for as low as $99 before they totally disappear since HD DVD has lost the war to BluRay . The BluRay player will be able to up-convert all your standard DVD's to 1080p.

Go to the Sony web site to see if it will play CDR's.

If you need a good CDP then look at the Marantz SA8001 SACDP, Rega Apollo, Cambridge audio 740c, or 640c, Music Hall 25.2. And if you want a good low price universal player, consider the OPPO 980HD.