cisco, i am not familiar with the kenwood model numbers, but if it is truly a "dolby digital" receiver, you should have no problems. I suspect that it is only a "dolby digital ready" receiver, which means you need a dolby digital decoder. you can purchase one separately, many companies make them, but overall you will be spending more money than if you had bought a true dolby digital receiver to begin with. I don't believe either company used "deceptive selling techniques," you just should have done more research before spending your hard earned cash. If you relied on the advice of a (best buy, circuit city,good guys) employee, they obviously didn't know what they were talking about. If it is not too late to return either of these items, you can return your dvd player and get one with a dolby digital decoder built in, or you can return your receiver and get one that is truly a "dolby digital" receiver. If possible, the latter is probably your best bet, as you will have more expandability options.