[warren112]

A lot of the programs on the HD channels are recorded for 5.1 channel sound. Even the news often has surround sound effects and mixing.

Sound from TV speakers is only stereo but it does have an on screen volume control. This volume control will also control the stereo (red and white) TV audio outputs. However the TV volume control will not control any digital optical sound out of the TV. So I don't recommend use of the TV stereo sound as you lose the extra stereo sound effects. But your wife probably would love the convenienc of just turning off the tv and having the sound turn off also. (even if she left the receiver on burning 100+ watts even with no sound.

So the only way to control 5.1 channel sound is from a AV receiver such as your Onkyo 805. The easiest way is using hdmi cables as this guarantees that once digitized, no further analog to digital or digital to analog conversions will be necessary. And it makes sense to use the receiver to switch video signals.

All my audio and video components are in a separate equiptment rack 15 feet away from the TV with a single 20 foot hdmi cable from my receiver to my tv. This gives room below the tv for a large heavy center channel speaker.

However, to watch tv you must turn on both the TV and the receiver and the receiver must be set to the cable box and not some other input. Then if you only turn off the TV after a delay, the tv sound turns back on. Your wife better be ready to juggle at least two remotes to even watch the news.

Then you might want a single all in one system remote control. These remotes do work. And they will allow you to control many devices. I have just got a Logitech Harmony One remote but can not recommend it as the fast forward button is failing after only one month of heavy tivo use. You must be willing to spend the time to engineer and change the programmable buttons on the harmony to the ones you use on all your other remotes. If you push the wrong button or don't point it correctly your system won't work properly and the itsy bitsy screen is better suited for my son than for my own poor vision. I currently use the harmony to turn on my system and even to watch tv with tivo. But have yet to reprogram it to watch blu-ray movies and thus still need my other remotes.

My criticisms of the home theater user interface is true of all the receivers I looked at. So hopefully next generation AV receivers will be more completely integrated with the next generation TV displays.