Getting Started

You can use one of your older dvd players, hooked up with component cables, and set to progressive scan, and get a decent enough picture. But, if you want your new tv to really pop out at you, you need a blu ray player. Sony's BDP-S360 is sold at WalMart for about $230, maybe less. There are a couple of brands that you can get cheaper, but I wouldn't get them. Blu ray players also upscale your regular dvds to near HD quality, so they'll look much better on the new tv.

A decent surround system will making your movie experience so much better! You'll probably quit going to the theater. You probably won't understand, until you've been around one some..........
Good luck!

I'm sure your old DVD players would work. Use the 3-cable component video connection for the best picture. Use a digital connection (to slink) if your TV has that audio input, otherwise use the red and white cables.

But in order to get the most out of your new TV you should get a new DVD player, preferrably a BluRay. There are "up-converting 1080p" dvd players on the market but your tv will up-grade any signal to 1080p itself as that's the only format it produced.

A BluRay player will give you the absolute best quality picture available. Even better than HD cable/satellite. Over-the-air HD broadcasts are also outstanding if you have a strong enough antenna.  But BluRay also offers improved sound quality with the lossless DolbyTrueHD and DTS-MasterAudio sound tracks found on most BluRay discs. You can also get audio and video streaming from NetFlix, Amazon, Pandora, Etc. with BR depending on which model you chose.

But in order to take advantage of all BluRay has to offer, you also need the appropriate sound system. An av receiver with HDMI 1.3a, a 5/7.1 channel surround speaker system with subwoofer and an Internet connection.
 
You should also consider up-grading you cable/satellite to HD. But again, this can get quite expensive.

How far you want to go depends on how much you want to spend. But I'd at least spring for a BR player and enjoy the finest picture your new tv can produce. Monoprice.com is a great site for good quality, but in-expensive cables and wires. Let us know what you decide and we'll help you pick out the right products.

I'll chime in here too - you really ought to consider getting a surround receiver.   Watching a nice screen without surround is like driving a convertible with the top up all the time.   Trust us - once you get surround you will understand.

If you get surround make sure you get a sub loud enough to fill your room.   Small room/small sub sounds ok, big room/small sub sounds pathetic.  I also noticed a huge improvement when I moved my rear speakers from their wall mountings to stands right behind my sofa at ear level.    Huge.

You will be surprised just how much of a difference good audio makes to the movie experience - and if it is all for your wife - you will have a) the jealousy of every married man here, and b) she will probably cook up a 'good experience' for you...   ;) 

You don't mention the size of your screen.  If it's not at least 40", and really 47+ then I don't think you'll gain much from Bluray.  And certainly not enough to justofy the added media cost.

The surrround is a different matter entirely, you'll enjoy it more than you think.  Full size speakers are better, but even a satellite system will be great.  Definitely det a sub.  Go for at least a 3.1 setup. 

It's best to avoid home-theaters-in-a-box (HTiBs), they have limited connections, not so great speakers, and if they have integrated components are harder to upgrade and repair.  If you do consider HTiBs, Onkyo is one of the few companies that put out decent ones.  (They're really just separates put together in a preselected package.)

There's lots more to consider, but it's probably best to answer them as you come up with more questions.