6 of one, half a dozen of the other, really. Though I would have more faith in the longevity of the Yamaha's electronics.
If I were you, I'd start with two bookshelfs and a receiver, then build on it as money permits. A pair of
Wavecrest HVL-1 plus an
inexpensive receiver (you could probably find something even cheaper on Craigslist) will sound much better than 5 satellites and a fart box, and will give you a solid foundation on which to build. The receiver and careful positioning of the bookshelf speakers should provide you with a phantom center channel for now, and surround sound signal is so infrequent you probably won't miss it.
Later, add an honest to goodness subwoofer. Budget around $600 for a subwoofer for a medium to large size room, or $1000 - $1100ish if your room is over 5000 cubic feet.
After that, add a third Wavecrest HVL-1 for a center channel, and maybe a couple of cheap surround satellites. The surrounds don't have to be anything fancy.
Do this, and songs will be sung of your victory. But you won't hear them because you'll be too busy watching movies with the volume cranked high.
