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Mac Mini as home theater appliance
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2005
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I'm sure this has been discussed but I couldn't find anything with a search.
I'm looking for websites with good info on doing this.
Mac mini vs. apple tv discussion would be helpful too
TIA
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Originally Posted by chippervw 
I'm sure this has been discussed but I couldn't find anything with a search.
I'm looking for websites with good info on doing this.
Mac mini vs. apple tv discussion would be helpful too
TIA
I have an apple tv. After having it a while, and now that hulu and other networks websites offer a lot of streaming video content, that is one limitation I see with apple tv. I have the choice of paying $1.99 per episode to watch a tv show on my applt tv, or I can stream it for free from hulu on my laptop. I would rather watch the stream on my tv, albeit the quality won't be that great, sure beats staring at my laptop. That is where the mac mini has an advantage.
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Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Oakland, CA
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What do you watch? I connect a G4 ibook to my tv to stream hulu as well as video stored on my NAS. The wireless g is good enough for most of my video, as my wireless router is only on the other side of the room. My MBP has 802.11n and has enough bandwidth to play anything off my NAS. Based on my experience, I would feel comfortable purchasing a Mac mini to fulfill my needs.
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17" MBP C2D 2.33/3 GB RAM/500 GB 7200 rpm/Glossy Display|-|
17" iMac CD|-|15" PB G4 1.25 GHz|-|iBook g4 1Ghz|-|Pismo
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Houston, TX
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Install Windows and run BeyondTV or SageTV... or install Linux and run MythTV.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Originally Posted by tinkered
What do you watch? I connect a G4 ibook to my tv to stream hulu as well as video stored on my NAS. The wireless g is good enough for most of my video, as my wireless router is only on the other side of the room. My MBP has 802.11n and has enough bandwidth to play anything off my NAS. Based on my experience, I would feel comfortable purchasing a Mac mini to fulfill my needs.
Yeah, if I got all the cables, I could plug my laptop in directly to the tv. Cables are so 1990's though. I would rather apple just add a hulu browser to apple tv like they did with youtube, but than they would be competing against themselves. oh well.
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: in front of my Mac
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I got a Mac mini for my home theater back before the Apple TV came out. 
The Mac mini is hooked up through DVI to my HD projector and to the stereo system. It connects through Ethernet to my AEBS. I have a BT KB (a new aluminum BT KB has replaced the old white BT KB in the meantime) and mouse (Logitec MX900 BT mouse) paired with it too. Media comes either from the mini's HDD or from my actual media server Mac which is also hooked up to my AEBS through Ethernet. Headless operation through ssh and VNC (like administrative tasks while the projector's off).
Even nowadays I'd still get the mini over the Apple TV. The mini is somewhat more expensive, but it just gives me so much more freedom. No hacking required. No voided warranties. I can use my player of choice (VLC), I can use it with any type of media (including DivX, AVI, WMV, etc.) and I can also use a real browser rather than just a built-in iTS and Youtube frontend. The mini also comes with an optical drive to play your DVDs and can be used as a PVR if you get a inexpensive USB TV tuner. And while it's idling it's a perfect BitTorrent SETI@home Mac too. 
Unless you can only afford an Apple TV I see no reason to get an Apple TV over a Mac mini.
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Last edited by Simon; Apr 10, 2008 at 04:48 AM.
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2005
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Thanks for the info. This is what I am looking to do.
Originally Posted by Simon
I got a Mac mini for my home theater back before the Apple TV came out.
The Mac mini is hooked up through DVI to my HD projector and to the stereo system. It connects through Ethernet to my AEBS. I have a BT KB (a new aluminum BT KB has replaced the old white BT KB in the meantime) and mouse (Logitec MX900 BT mouse) paired with it too. Media comes either from the mini's HDD or from my actual media server Mac which is also hooked up to my AEBS through Ethernet. Headless operation through ssh and VNC (like administrative tasks while the projector's off).
Even nowadays I'd still get the mini over the Apple TV. The mini is somewhat more expensive, but it just gives me so much more freedom. No hacking required. No voided warranties. I can use my player of choice (VLC), I can use it with any type of media (including DivX, AVI, WMV, etc.) and I can also use a real browser rather than just a built-in iTS and Youtube frontend. The mini also comes with an optical drive to play your DVDs and can be used as a PVR if you get a inexpensive USB TV tuner. And while it's idling it's a perfect BitTorrent SETI@home Mac too.
Unless you can only afford an Apple TV I see no reason to get an Apple TV over a Mac mini.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Body in London, mind elsewhere
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While I don't use a Mac mini any more (G5 dual 1.8GHz-i got it free), I bought the TubeStick which came bundled with MediaCentral and it all works well with Apple's remote control when I had the mini, I now use my Sony Ericsson to control it via BT.
You can create links in MediaCentral folders structure to where to store your files, so you don't have to move stuff if you already have a large selection of movie/TV files. It manages to play almost all video files.
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