you are correct. I opened them up today and it is just speaker wire which I assume makes things a little easier.
the speakers will be about 14-15 ft apart. The TV will be about 15ft away. TV and speakers under an covered pavilion.
The speakers have 300 watt max output at 8 ohm.
So I assume I need a receiver/amp that is 5+ channels, and probably around 700 watts, with 1 digital optical input.
I will be using it outside, but i'm looking for a weatherproof enclosure for the receiver.
You won't find a receiver that delivers that much power, and I highly doubt you need that much.
With the size of that space, you are going to need time delay, which I think the receiver will allow you do do. If you don't delay the rear speakers by the correct amount, the sound will be garbled for those bening those speakers.
It still bothers me you putting that receiver outside. It won't be temperature controlled. Receivers do not like heat especially. Being out in the cold is not good for them either. The cabinet will need to allow a lot of ventilations as receivers make a lot of heat. If the receiver is not well ventilated it will blow.
I would not use an optical cable. Connect your sources to the receiver and connect the receiver to the TV with an HDMI cable. That is the way to do it. Just use the TV and an "end" device and have the receiver switch the TV sources. That is the proper way to do this.
I really have concerns about your plans. They are just not well thought out. This is not a trivial project but a major undertaking. Domestic equipment is not designed for outdoor use. Your TV and speakers are designed for that application, but receivers are not.
If you can't put the receivers into a temperature controlled environment, then I think you need a DAC from the TV and then a pro PA type amp designed for this type of environment. I think you are also going to need a digital delay unit for the rear speakers, which will mean that you need a four channel type PA amp.
I would not use an optical cable. Connect your sources to the receiver and connect the receiver to the TV with an HDMI cable. That is the way to do it. Just use the TV and an "end" device and have the receiver switch the TV sources. That is the proper way to do this.
Just one more point. There is no way those speakers will handle 300 watts. Speaker power ratings are always grossly exaggerated, and almost universally fiction. I would say 20 to 30 watts continuous would be about max for a 6.5" driver. However the speakers have 95 db. sensitivity, so that likely will fill your space without a lot of power.