Here's my view from the Couch.  The most disappointing component in my system right now is my TV.  I hope to upgrade it to something a bit sexier next year (with an HD Console too?), but I can hardly stand the wait. 

Here's my Couch, which was a great find.  Microfiber upholstry, Movable Chaise with a Subtle Modern Look.  It unfolds into a King Size Bed.  Extraordinary price from Robinson's May during their Fall Furniture sale.  Notice my Pretty 532s on either side.  (I dont think they're really lopsided. I'm just a poor photographer).

A closeup of my Receiver and DVD Player.  The Onkyo is great for me because my TV only has one input in the back (and one more up front).  I was so tired of switching inputs everytime I wanted to use a different component.  The Onkyo upconverts everything to one S-video signal, so I never have to switch cables again.  

The Pioneer is a great dvd player at a great price.  The thing plays DVDs, SACDs, DVDa and even divx files burned to discs.  Price was important to me in a DVD player (as I'll probably be upgrading to HD in the next 2 years).  The Pioneer does me right there too:  It cost <$200 with shipping.

The Crown Jewel of my Home Theater is my Xbox (I Swear my Cabinet has a nicer finish than my camera is suggesting):

My XBox is anything from Standard.  After installing a Mod Chip and replacing the Standard 10gb Hard Disk with a 200 Gig Hard disk, it's a full-fledged Media Center PC. 

It's loaded with about 40 gigs of MP3s (but can also play FLAC, Ogg, WMA, and just about any other format under the sun).  It automatically downloads album art and displays it (along with one of many slick looking visualizations, which respond to the beat of the music):

I also use it to play Recorded TV Shows and Movies (Again, just about any format:  Divx, Mpeg, Quicktime, DVD, etc).  .  For space reasons, I keep most movies and TV Shows on a 500 Gig Networked Hard drive in my office.

It will also get on the net to pull down CNN.com Videos, Movie trailers and even the weather:

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my gorgeous mirror black Aperion Speakers.  Left:

Right: 

My Front speakers are on Standard Aperion stands, and my Surrounds are on adjustable stands I picked up from J&R.  I used to keep the stands to the direct right and left of the couch, but found the sound to be a bit too localized on videogames, so I scooted them back a bit and raised them up some.  Anyone have thoughts on this? 

Of course, my setup wouldn't be much good without movies to play them on.  The handy enclosure to the left of my TV was perfect for a Billy Bookcase from Ikea.  Please disregard the lamp on the right.  I plan on ditching that, as soon as I figure out how to mount the In Cabinet lighting system I purchased...

A complete list of my movies can be found here:  http://www.eudaimo.com/Movies

At this point, I am very happy with my system, but for 2 complaints:

1.  Wires Wires Wires!  I have a big wirey mess.  Right now I have one cable going across my hallway to my Front Right Speaker, and an Ethernet Cable going from my XBOX to my office (where the Router is). 

The best solution I can think of (short of wiring around the entire hallway) would be to get a strip to go across and run the cables through there.  Not attractive, but a lot more manageable...

The left side of my setup fares no better: 

The second complaint is my sad little 32" TV, which is a touch small for the room and a bit outdated.  I'm trying to hold out for just another year or two before I upgrade that.

Thoughts?  Comments?  Ideas?  I'd love to hear them!