home theater in a box?

I would probably also go to Best Buy or Circuit City in your case. I think Mshan has gone overboard (ie, not idiot proof). Your friends sound like they just want to watch movies, and would not appreciate a Videophile setup. Onkyo makes nice stuff at a good price. Boston Accoustic speakers are fine. Get them some fatter gauge speaker wire (12 awg) than the typical thin (16 awg cable). Also, get something better than the plastic $5 interconnect and video cables.

http://www.denon.com/catalog/products.asp?l=2&c=56

Denon makes really good HT stuff and they have a brand new theater in a box setup for under $800.

http://www.epinions.com

is a good link that "regular folks" not "nuts like us" offer reviews on this kind of stuff. You may get some good insight there. They also compare prices for you.

Good luck
AJ

Go with Vader007's rec. The farudja chip is the chit.

Check out the Aego5, both with and without their processor.

WhatHiFi gave it 5 stars last month, calling it the best one-box small system out there. Same speakers that Michael Fremer raved about in Stereophile (Mar. 2001) as a stereo channel system, but expanded into 5 sats and sub.

Tiny Satellites about the size of a coffee cup take very little room; and a nice, smallish, very musical sub. Similar to Bose in size, but sounds alot better and handles more power. Colors are black or white.

You can buy just the speaker system for $799, or get it with their processor for $1198. The processor package is small and offers DD, and DTS, plus some input switching (but no video switching). It's good for someone using it mainly for DVD use.

If you want more flexibility, and have a tuner included, you might shop for a receiver, that would also include a tuner, and then buy the speaker package.

Disclosure,
We are a dealer of the Aego.

Aego...I believe made by acoustic energy...regardless i heard it on a fluke while looking for other stuff-for the $$ it was impressive.

Good Luck,

Fred