Hi jrock65,
If you select "None" for the surround speakers, the Dolby Digital decoder will mix the surround information normally sent to the surround speakers into the front Left and Right main channels. So you won't "lose" the information but you will lose the ambient and directional cues that add greatly to the realism of 5.1-channel surround sound.
You might check your receiver and see if it has a Dolby3 mode, which might produce greater realism than the Dolby Digital mode with the surrounds "OFF".
I really think you need to have a serious discussion with your wife. You indulge her interests, right? Then she should reciprocate. Besides, if she heard a really good surround sound setup (don't play it at deafening volume), she might agree that it really sounds SO much better and let you have the surrounds.
Regards,
So
