User interface for Denon S-301 and iPod

The home theater system I bought, it's a turnkey system, recommended highly by CNET, connects to my iPod, and I like that! The system doesn't have its own hard disk, but it connects to one of mine. That's a good place to start. But their software is totally lo-rez, and how are they going to upgrade it without a net connection? At some point we'll stop buying electronics if it doesn't have easy connectivity to the systems we already have. That's why I bought a Mac Mini for my new TV, so I could find the points of frustration, where it drives me crazy that I can't connect two things together that should be able to connect.