Pre-amp outs

Yes you can.

Why not get a 5 channel AMP? Adcom has some out that are not too expencive. Then you can upgrade to a 7.1 pre-amp and eventually get a high quality 2 channel amp for the fronts?

that way you have good solid power for the center and 4 surrounds, and have real good power for the mains while listening to 2 channel?

One_shot,

If you are 17, workin on fast food, and already getting into this hobby and upgrading, by the time you are 40 you will probably be like some of the 'gon'ers here who have gone through hundreds of types of equipment! :)

Have you liiked into getting a pre-amp and amp? and keeping the reciever? you would have to swap the cables back and forth from amp to reciever, but its pretty quick if you have banana plugs on em.

I think you oughtta try looking for a used Technics SA-TX50. It has pre-outs, no onboard DD decoder, but for movies this thing really rocks. then you can get maybe a cheap NoRh or Adcom or something and run the mains off of those.
People seem to shy away from technics recievers, but these are pretty decent and they pack alot of power 125w/ch. It could definatly drive you mains more than your sony can, and it has the pre-outs. I personally think it would sound pretty good. Later on as funding gets better, it would be easy to slide into a pre-amp.
I'd sell you mine, but im still using it. Try EBAY, if you do a search on SA-TX50 on yahoo you will be able to find some reeviews on it, most people who buy em are pretty impressed. you might be able to pick it up used for about 200-300.

my 2 cents :)