How to use my old B&W's with my new big screen??

First congrats on the new toy!! What you could do ..depending just how hard you feel you need the push the B&Ws? Is pick yourself up a receiver capable of the newest codecs. Denon,Marantz,Yamaha or Onkyo will do the trick.

Any of them connected to your speakers, will sound much better than the TV's! Grab yourself a optical cable and use it from the TV to the receiver. If you have cable and a cable box with digital output. Connect your sound from the cable box to the receiver using a optical or coax digital cable(this depends on the cable boxe's digital output).From there you can expand the system to your own needs.

By the way, over the air digital channels have great sound! You'd be surprise just how good prime time TV shows sound if you go the route using your inboard OTA digital tuner.

I just run cables from the analogue outputs on the TV [52 Panny Plasma] to standard inputs on an audio amplifier. Pick up a NAD integrated amp with remote and connect your speakers to it and thats it. I have not found that with Direct TV shows have the same sound. "The Mentalist " has really exceptional sound but many others don't. In general, home theater receivers are built to less exacting standards than home audio, not surprising considering the vastly increased complexity. So I prefer the KISS approach. I think that Audio Advisor is closing out some of the NADs for $299.

I agree Stanwal about the KISS approach with audiophile audio, unfortunately that particular KISS approach doesn't allow digital sound reproduction. You're missing a good portion of sound running analog two channel from a TV capable of so much more. This is where a receiver will excel without a doubt. Most prime time shows are broadcast in Dolby Digital.

Put me down as one who strongly dislikes the sound of movie theaters and avoids it at home. Since I find analogue superior to digital despite having $10k worth of CD players I doubt if a receiver would produce a sound I would care for. A friend of mine is using the receiver approach with B&Ws. I find mine sounds better. If you have an amp now hook it up as I suggest and see what you think.

Thanks for all your help. Pardon my ignorance, but what is the KISS approach?