Surround sound on a budget

[JasonK]

So tomorrow being black Friday, I plan on going out and picking up a new HD tv to work with my Ps3, more than likely it will have several hdmi ports as well. Lets assume it has three. One would be for the Ps3, another for TV, and another for surround sound. Now my first question is, is it necessary to have an HDMI receiver if there's several ports?

Next question is (and forgive me for being a noob, as I'm sure you get this all the time), what kind of surround sound would you recommend on a budget? If possible, I'd like to keep it under $300, less is always better.

I'm not looking for top of the line quality, and I'm well aware I get what I pay for. But I just need something temporary that will last me maybe 2-3years, and would love to experience blu-ray and gaming in true surround sound. Also, it's not going to be in a large room, so larger speakers won't be required.

Sorry, I know nothing about audio, so any help would be greatly appreciated.