Rick:
You just want to hear that the Onkyo that you recommended is on that list.... and it is!
I think the Infinitys sounded like a good option....(though that was especially true when they were on sale before 12/31 AND you got an add'l speaker when you spent over $300). The whole setup would have been pretty cheap and I'm sure would have sufficed for them.
I think SonicFox's recommendation of the Harmony 676 was a good one, and Ray's suggestion for a Pannie Commercial plasma mad sense. I haven't checked into the plasmas heavily yet, but I have two broadcast dealers in town that give me extremely competitive pricing. My parents don't need a tuner or speakers.
I'm also thinking that their current living room system should be replaced. It consists of a 10-year old Panasonic 27", some Radio Shack Minimus speakers that I had lying around driven by a Sherwood receiver that I just bought them (Stereo only, just to improve the clarity over the TV's speaker for my mom's hearing issues), a separate DVD player and a separate VCR. It's not enough system for my dad, and too complicated for my mom.
So I'm considering a 27" TV/VCR/DVD combo unit with a powered speaker (like
this Anchor) attached so there's nothing additional to turn on, or to switch inputs, etc. Dad gets a more capable system, mom gets a simpler one. As I said, they don't often watch TV together!!!
