Answers:

1) Yes, the 950 will give you all the appropiate decoding needed for any home theater application. DD and DTS for regular 5.1, DD-EX and DTS-ES for 6.1, Cirrus Processing for 7.1, plus others I'm sure I'm forgetting. In other words, yes, it will work fine.

2) Since you have the ability to do so, run your wiring for future speakers now. That way if you want the upgrade, you don't have to worry about messy, exposed wiring runs or thinking about ripping open finished walls.

I think the above is what the questions was asking. If the question was asking wether the 950 can handle 7.1, the answer is yes! The two rear surrounds are preferred as compared to 6.1 sound.

3) If I'm remembering correct, I think the QS8 will work fine for your surround needs. They are considered dipolar speakers but also have some very direct tendencies. I think what curious was responding to was the fact that many people recommend a pair of direct radiating surround speakers as opposed to a dipolar pair. In reality, it truly depends on your usage of the system, speaker placement, and personal preference. I would say start with the package for now and then if you feel like upgrading or tweaking, try out some direct radiators at that point.

Hope this helps! If your wife is anything like my girlfriend, she'll realize the value of a good home theater system very quickly. Just make sure you listen to her input for movie selections.