How many of you guys use a HT processor ?

Here's the deal...JMCGrogan2 is about right for you if you are mainly into highest fidelity possible music listening, have an excellent digital source(with good DAC's) from it's analog-out's, and home theater is a secondary priority for you!...then I think what he said is a good scenario for you to go for(or you could do better with a more budget, yet more refined used digital pre/pro for HT..but you DO NEED SOME KIND OF EXERTNAL DIGITAL PROCESSING FOR DD/DTS MOVIES!)In this case, you'd buy a high end dedicated 2 channel preamp(many excellent sounding tube preamps out there, as well as passsive jobbers, etc), connect all your sources for music listening(i.e, CD player, tuner, whatever) to the preamp, and then loop in either a receiver or AV pre/pro into an auxilary or "dirrect input" connection on the 2 ch preamp! You can then maximize your 2 channel, as well as multi ch HT! This way you can find a much less costly possibly used processor for movie dubties(i.e, anthing from used sonically excellent Acurus act 3's, to Aragon Sounstage, Classe SSP25, Krell HTS, even entry level Parasound AVP800(?)!..all sound better than most any receiver for processing dd/dts movies, down to the Parasound/Acurus!). You can use a cheeper receiver from say, yamaha, Denon, Marantz, Harmon, or whatever through it's pre-out's into your 2 channel pre for movies, and save more money if needed for budget. Many of those pieces offer more than adequate sonics overall, if your needs for HT are secondary, but you still value excellent external digital processing for movies!(and you do need this for movies, as opposed to running out of your dvd players analog out's into your 2 channel preamp!...never sounds as good!!!).
HOWEVER, to each his own! You may just find that, if you do pick one of these excellent used 5.1 digital pre/pro's to try out, you may just find that some of the unit's sound absolutely superb for your music needs! Some, like the Krell HTS, Aragon soundstage, and Classe SSP25 sound very very good from the digital in for digital connections, as well as from the analog through-put's that the Classe and Aragon offer!!!(these offer "dirrect analog inputs" for sonic purity", which is a huge benefit to those with superb CD players that already posses good DAC's, tuners, and other good analog sources, etc.). You might find that something like these unit's (in the $1200-$1500 range used or better!) offer a lot of audiophile value, and many are more than pleased with them for music and HT dubties. In short, they are superb units' sonically, most well built, and can be had for cheep on the net! Infact, the Krell HTS is still the best sounding DD/DTS 5.1 channel AV pre/pro I've ever heard for movies from a digital connection for DD/DTS!!!...world class even! The Classe's and ARagon's, maybe even used EAD's, and such are also very very good digitally as well. I owned the Krell, Aragon, Acurus Act 3, and many others, but sold quite a few brands in my time. Infact, I worked in 5 high end stores over the last 15 years. I know what's out there.
If you do try to buy a higher end AV pre/pro for your needs, you can at least find out what they can do for you! If you don't think they meet all your sonic needs, or you long for something more(better?) for at least 2 channel(You'll most certainly not lack or improve on the digital end for DD/DTS here however!), you can always sell, downgrade, and maybe go the "dedicated 2 channel preamp route, and buy a cheeper processor or av receiver for your movies, like jmcgrogan2 recommended! Infact, for the last few years, I've used his approach basically, except I used a snoically superior process for movies.
My suggestion is to try the higher end av pre/pro first, see what they can do first, then maybe pick up a high end 2 channel preamp and see if you think you're missing anything for your needs!..you can alway sell gear here on the used market, and often make more sellilng it than you bought it for! Long live the used market!!!
Good luck

Yeah unfortunately you can't ultimately expect world class sonics by simply using an HT pre/pro connected digitally from a source!...thus using the DAC's in your pre/pro. You will get better refinement by finding a very good CD source that has good DAC's, and thus sounds good from it's analog out's, connected to a good high quality 2 channel preamp!(or maybe soon/future, a good 5.1 or better SACD/DVDA player, with outputs into a 5.1 or better high quality high end analag preamp I presume!).
I've done it both way's with just about every kind of system imaginable, right up to the very pinnacle of gear sellections($60k speakers, $40k amp's, $12k av pre/pro's, $15k digital sources, multi $k connections, etc, etc, etc.).
Don't get me wrong...while digital processors in these AV pre/pro's have come ALONG WAY, especially for 16 bit cd playback or HDCD, etc., and they still better the sound of older CD player processing, they can't compete overall in refinement by doing what I mentioned earlier!
The analog or digital preamp sections in these AV pre/pro's just doesn't quite offer the goods compared to what's capable ultimately...at least not yet.
However, that said, many will find using a good AV pre/pro as a preamp, either digitally or from analog connections, more than satisfactory!...and it can sound good...don't get me wrong. You gotta judge for yourself.
But I've done it both ways, with passives, actives, pre/pro's only, etc, and the CD source into a good preamp is still the purist. However, there is not bass managment or Digital EQ's or anything that can be utiliazed that way if you need it...which are really the only downside there.
As for passive preamp choices, I think that argument/topic has been more than covered a bagillion times

I would like to add one Caveat to the mix here pertaining to this topic, and that's the issue of flexibility (which offers some advantages sonically) that AV pre/pro's offer, that 2 ch pre's don't...
...I have noticed however that there are at least a couple of major advantages that using a high end digital AV pre/pro can offer a music listner. And even though most of us, including myself, conceed that even though we mostly like the sonic purity of a 2 channel pre from a good source, there are some drawbacks there. The main deal being that I find most home audiophile systems are rather dynamically challenged! Using the bass management in a high end AV pre/pro(considering digital connnetion) can let you configure your speakers as "small" Or "smaller", thus allowing you to get an ACTive subwoofer(s) into the mix! If you can dial in and properly integrate subs to do the "dirty work", you will extend the dynamic range/ability of most any home audio sytem!
Basically, most passive audiphile rigs suffer from dynamic transparancy. Using powerd bass woofer helps put dynamics into the system, and lets your amp simply drive the upper bass and above...effectively "actively bi-amping" your system(almost).
What eI've noticed over my 20 years around high end audio, is just that...most audiophile rigs can't kick out the goods like a good active system or pro audio system offers(with exceptions being the likes of ATC's, Avantgarde's, Powered speaker systems, etc). In that case, if your music listening preffernce is techo, hip-hop, hard rock, heavy dynamic stuff and similar, then the AV pre/pro offeres some advantages! But for the average audiophile(and this is the truth), who only listens to occasional Steely Dan, Miles Davis, Dianna Krall(ick!) or smooth jazz and light classical, the 2 channel is the most pure. If you like to rock, then with most passive speaker systems, doing bass managment from an AV pre/pro offeres some tremendous advantages!...if you can use a well integrated woofer set up.
The deal there is however that, in ultimate terms of coherency, integration, and proper set up(but then most can't even set up their speakers optimally anyway), many can't get subwoofers set up so well as to give a turely audiophile experience!...thus many auidophiles dislike, even hate subwoofers! But, if you can setn it up right, there's tremendous potential there, to the skilled/experienced person.
Anyway, I just thought I'd add that, incase you were like some who do more heavy dynamic music listening!
For those of you who do, the absolute worst option is a passive sysetm!..dynamics are heavily challenged there!
Hope this helps