In reply to:

Is there a lot of discrete 7.1 content out there now? My understanding was that most material you would put through a 7.1 system is actually native 5.1 or 6.1 that is matrixed by your processor to derive the other channels.



You are likely correct in this statement. My main objective is to "future-proof" the speaker setup so the wife does not have to go through the mental stress of upgraditis. If it is there from the beginning, she can't complain.