I use the T21 thinkpad as a DVD player feeding picture to a Sony VPL-VW10HT - which is the grey box in the top picture. the projector rocks and presented few problems - one of the big issues was getting 6 discrete channels of audio off of the DVD into the audio system.
this was solved with the only USB SPDIF in/out device on the market (bizarrely enough made by Abit - the UA11) which allows passthrough of AC3 tracks (also known as Dolby Digital) from DVDs in the PC - this was plugged (with optical cable) directly into a Dolby Digital decoder - the Midiland ADS 2000 - that's the little gray box on top of the subwoofer (which btw is the KLH 120)
phew...so now we have six channels of analogue sound coming out of the decoder...for the uninitiated amongst you they are
Front Right, Front Left, Center, Back Left, Back Right, and Subwoofer
now all we need is six channels of amplification and six speakers. well one channel is the subwoofer and that's self-powered (i.e. has a built in amplifier.)
the two rear channels are connected to the Musical Fidelity X-A2 - which is just sex...(oh and it's the bottom picture on the left - Bose Acoustimass speakers not pictured)
which leaves the three front channels - this is where we have some fun - look at the middle picture.
I wanted to get a small sexy three channel amp so I got a car amp. (as in vehicle)
not just any car amp mind you but the Thunder 6304 - a 150W 4 channel monster. it leaves me with one spare channel but the other three feed some Anthony Gallo M3 speakers
in the picture the amp is the half shiny thing on the right - the black box on the very right is a 12V DC power supply for the amp. only the center channel speaker is visible - next to the plastic helicopter model.
the two boring boxes under the plastic helicopter model are the digital cable box and a VCR.
the kickass Samsung SV5000W world VCR had not arrived in time for the photo.
the big black box is the sub...and thassit...except for the blue box next to the musical fidelity - that...is the pandora - a guitar effects box
