You've gotten great advice already....if you want convenience, are likely to not get the upgrade bug over time, and want the system for movies as much as music, I agree with the advice to buy one of the top-of-the-line AV Receivers (my preference is Denon). You'll get excellent performance for years with a minimum of hassle and complexity. If you're willing to look at used equipment (a great approach IMO), you can get a lot for $3000 in separates. You've been given some good things to look at - I'll add a possible combination of a used, decked out Lexicon DC-1 pre/pro and a 5-channel Rotel amp. The DC-1 is somewhat dated, but it's very powerful yet a joy to use - fabulous for movies, very decent for music. You can find them for about $1500 used - look for one that is upgraded to v4.0 software - the software improvement is worth having and the new remote is a major improvement. As somebody else mentioned, receivers depreciate quickly out of the box, so if you're looking at upgrading down the road (even if you don't realize yet that you'll want to), separates offer more options.
Which is better: separates or receiver?
My husband and I are considering integrating our stereo with our home theater. I am looking for any advice on which is better, running with a 5 channel amp and a preamp/processor, or using a big HT receiver. Any recommendations are appreciated. We are working with a budget not exceeding $3000.