Rabrant,
Welcome to the forum, I am sure that we can get you sorted out and on your way. There are a lot of nice, knowledgeable people that hang out here.
For a decent, upgradeable (believe me it will happen) 5.1 system you will need:
2 main speakers, let us know your room size and listening tastes and we can point you in the right direction. Let's assume a pair of M22's for now.
A center channel speaker - the majority of the movie sound (especially dialog) comes from here. I would suggext the VP150 as it is a good speaker and should not require an upgrade for a long time.
2 rear/side surround speakers for ambient effects - rear or side depending on your room setup. The Axiom QS8 speaker is recognized as one of the best surround speakers available for the price (and more).
A subwoofer - very important for the low frequncy range, especially for movies. Axiom, HSU, and SVS are favorites of most forum members.
A reciever - switches between inputs (cd, dvd, cable etc) applies processing (Dolby, DTS, etc) and amplifies the signals that are sent out to the speakers. A 7.1 channel system is advisable (for future upgrades), as is a system which allows you to bypass the internal power amp section and use an external poweramp in the future.
DVD/CD player - there are many good, affordable universal players available which will last you a while. Many also support the new multi channel SACD and DVD-A formats.
Cables - digital for between you DVD player and receiver, speaker cables (Axiom bulk cable is excellent) etc.
Well, that should give you some information to get you started. Any informatin on your room, budget etc will help us to help you.
Welcome to a fun hobby.
