Guide to "Mac mini as media center"

Jon Hicks has a great post detailing the use of a Mac mini in place of an AppleTV. By going with the mini over the AppleTV, Hicks gets the added features of increased video format support, PVR functionality (through EyeTV), and DVD playback and ripping. The guide also focuses on how to make it work smoothly with a bluetooth wireless mouse/keyboard (and via screensharing in Leopard), and the drawbacks when things crash and you have to control it from your couch.

Although it sounds like there are some drawbacks to running a Mac mini from your living room couch, the added functionality certainly sounds appealing and I'll personally be thinking about going this option whenever I decide to stream movies to another TV or update my current AppleTV.

Comments

[cpryce]

I can't find a link to Jon Hicks' post in this article, what am I missing?

[Tim Jarrett]

Looks like it's this post:

http://www.hicksdesign.co.uk/journal/mac-mini-media-centre

[MrP]

Me neither! can you post the link please!

[ajh]

How about a link to http://www.hicksdesign.co.uk/journal/mac-mini-media-centre .

[Dave Zatz]

The Mac Mini integrated graphics with shared system memory is a liability. If Apple bumps the specs, I might revisit. I just started looking at EyeTV. Looks promising, but I wonder if the Season Pas functionality is up to snuff.

[Tyler]

If you don't need PVR features, OSXBMC is coming along very nicely, although the website ( http://osxbmc.com ) seems to be down this morning. (In the meantime, here's the forum: http://xbmc.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=56 )

[Mark Mascolino]

Damn shame Netflix streaming video doesn't work on Macs otherwise this would be a very attractive solution for me.

[Matt Haughey]

Oops, linked added to the post.

Mark, you could run Windows using VMWare to play movies full screen from Netflix, but it will be fairly low resolution.

[CodyP]

So, does Boot Camp on Leopard have the same resolution problems with Netflix?

[steveballmer]

Macs are inferior!

http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com

[Jeff]

I bought a Mac Mini and planned to use it as a Media Centre linking to my LCD TV in the living room. However, "No Signal" was the result whatever cable I use (DVI convert to VGA or DVI convert to HDMI). I asked several brands like Samsung, LG, etc. and they replied that they have not tested compatibility with Mac Mini. I asked Mac and they replied that it is not their problem as the Mac Mini can be used in LCD Monitors. What should I do to make my Mac Mini works with the LCD TV? Please kindly advise. Thanks.

[Farhad]

In response to the "No Signal" problem -
Try cloning your screen with an LCD monitor and the LCD TV both connected. Then keep changing the resolution/refresh rate combination around the refresh rate and resolution of your LCD Tv. The TV should pick up the signal at some point. We had a similar issue but with a high res projector not a TV though.

[John Howell]

I bought a second hand mini to act as a replacement for my aging XBox which of course is chipped and can run XBMC.
The mini is smaller, looks nicer, easily supports a full keyboard and mouse, and comes with a remote, and runs XBMC in OS X or I was planning to have it boot Linux and run there but I was impressed enough with the fast Mac boot time and waking from sleep I'll just keep it as OS X

The only problem is while it was sitting on my desk being set up I found I really liked it, so now it has a 1TB external firewire drive, EyeTV Hybrid tuner stick, 2GB RAM, and I'm going to have to buy another one for the lounge to replace the aging XBox 8)
Maybe I'll treat myself to a new mini (faster video and more memory available will be welcome on my desktop) for Christmas and this old one can become the PVR it was supposed to be.

Now if Apple released a 42" iMac, then that would instantly become the new TV 8) I mean if I can buy a 42" Samsung LCD with digital tuner and a Mac Mini and associated bits for under NZ$3000, then surely Apple should be able to do something for only twice that 8)