I've searched here and all over the 'net and have been unable to find the answer I need to my seemingly simple question. I recently bought a Sony 34XBR970 (34" CRT) and need to upgrade my other components. I already have a SA 8300HD cable box.

I need a new receiver since my trusty old Harman/Kardon AVR 5 only has one 5.1 analog input for surround sound (no optical or coax). My Sony SACD/DVD player has a built-in decoder but doesn't do progressive scan, so I need to replace it as well. I am not interested in HD-DVD or Blu-Ray at this time.

Ideally I want to use an all-HDMI connection scheme to tame the rat's nest of cables I currently have. Is HDMI ready for this? Will I get surround sound if I buy a DVD player with HDMI and connect it to a HDMI-equipped receiver? Can I then run another HDMI cable from the receiver to the TV for video?

I'm a bit confused about the different HDMI specifications. Will this work with reasonably-priced components, or is it only in the high-end stuff for now?

I always hoped this would come about with FireWire, but it's too bad it never took off.

Thanks,
Adam