Entertainment Center: TVs, Stereos, VCRs and DVDs - 6.1 Reciever with 5 speakers

I am finishing my basement and I'm pre-wiring for surround sound (with CL3 rated behind wall monster speaker wire). I originally planned to wire for 5.1 surround...front left/front right/center/rear left/rear right.

But I can purchase a very good 6.1 reciever/speaker set thats on sale near me (Yamaha YHT-750), but I don't really want the middle back speaker due to the way my room lays out. Can I buy this unit, use the 6.1 reciever, but use it as a 5.1 system? Or am I forced to wire for the additional center back speaker?

Thanks for any help

Yes, you can use whatever channels you want. If you tell it to only use 5.1, it will act like a 5.1 receiver. Some people don't use a center channel, and let the main speakers handle those sounds.

I would recommend also wiring coax for a sub to a couple different locations. Make sure those locations have power. It would also be smart to run a fat (2" or bigger) conduit to the center of the ceiling in case you want to run a projector. I ran wire to our patio, bedroom and garage just in case. It is smart to run a couple coaxes from outside to the stereo for HDTV/cable internet/etc. Running cat5 from a central location to the stereo is also a good idea for things like an xbox or future upgrades.

You can also run wire for 6.1 or 7.1 and just have it stapled to the stud behind the drywall. Leave it hidden until you want to use it.

Thanks for the help..

But you mentioned some other things I"m not clear on.

Why would you run Coaxial cable for a sub woofer? Whats it for? Also, I am running cat5e to two locations and up to my wireless router in my kitchen. But how does that relate to xbox?

I like the idea of running the 6.1 and leaving it in the sheet rock..

Coax for a sub woofer is great, but not always necessary.
BUT, whether you have 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, you're not doing the system justice without a powered sub. IT WILL make the system.

fred

youre not going to find many dvds or media in 6.1 or 7.1, maybe SACD then you'll need a special CD player so right now 5.1 is fine, also for the wire to your Powerd sub you can ask at your retailer which wire to pick up its called coaxial and looks just like a single RCA line. (just one cord) and this will run from the Reciever (Pre-Out or Sub-Out)to the sub.

The cat5 wire is fine for high-speed internet and wiring up your router just run all of them to the router (make the router the central location right by your cable modem.) cat5 is also called Rj45 (or Ethernet cable) and can be found at any home improvement or radio shack. Your XBox will use the Rj45 connection, and its on the back of your XBox.

Also you will probably want to pick up a powered sub woofer for your surround system, you've may have noticed no bass to your movies without it.
it puts the boom in the movies.