Receiver budget
With those speakers, I would check out receivers in the $300 price range like the Yamaha HTR-5960 or comparable models from Denon, Pioneer, and Onkyo.
Spending more on a receiver will not improve the audio quality, but better speakers will.
I have the entry level Oppo DV-970HD and would recommend one of their players. Only the most expensive model, the 981 will upconvert to 1080p. The free HDMI cable that comes with the player will work fine.