of particular interest are the SVS subs. Due to limited "space", I may be forced to have the sub sitting next to an older 36" direct view tv. Will this cause any problems?
If it is not shielded and it is within a foot of a TV, you will get color disrtortion on your TV set. You don't need a shielded sub, unless it iswithin a few feet of your TV.
It depends on the sub and the TV. For instance, Sony's Wega TVs are very sensitive to magnetic fields. An unshielded Mirage sub caused CRT discoloration in our 36" Wega from three feet away.