In terms of tower speakers namely the tweater and the difference between the two brands. We only sit 12 feet from the TV but the family room is 20 feet wide and is connected to the kitchen making for a total for 35 feet. My question is which would be better the klipsch with a horn style tweet or polks compostite tweet?
Also in a receiver do I need HDMI ins/outs? I have directv hd dvr and a hd tv to have 5.1 thru directv?
Speaker selection is strictly personal taste. You should determine your budget and listen to as many speakers in your price range as possible. The horn-loaded Klipsch speakers are very efficient, therefore they require less amplifier power than most speakers. However, you should still choose the speaker system that sounds best to you.
"Also in a receiver do I need HDMI ins/outs?"
Most receivers that advertise HDMI are either "passthrough" or HDMI version 1.1, meaning the HDMI inputs are there mainly for switching convenience--with the exception of an HD DVD or Blu-ray's PCM output of any HD disc that has high resolution audio on it. There are a handful of HDMI 1.3 receivers available now that can process the higher resolution audio bitsteams (Dolby Digital Plus, DD TrueHD and others) that are available on many HD/Blu-ray discs. By this time next year there will be many more 1.3 receivers available.
"I have directv hd dvr and a hd tv to have 5.1 thru directv?"
I used to own some polk speakers. IMO they are "reserved" sounding when compared to Klipsch. Klipsch are very forward. If you have wood floors, Klipsch may be too bright. Unfortunately no one can tell you what is the best choice. I would check out return policy, buy both and return what you don't like.. If your doing 5.1 I'd just buy the fronts and center to see what you like, the surrounds won't matter much same with the sub. Just a suggestion.
I enjoy my klipsch, but if listening to them for 3hrs or more (just music no movies) I find myself continually lowering the volume. Not that it sounds bad, just my ears are getting "tired". During movies, I don't ever want to turn down the volume.
As for HDMI, again IMO everytime you pass your video stream through another component you lose signal (via conversion, connections, new cable, ect) I personally take video directly from DVD player to TV.
To avoid the issue with switching inputs I got a Harmony universal remote, push one button it does the rest for you. It's about a 15min setup via computer and internet (using a usb port).
