Mac Mini as a HTPC

Forums › Home Theatre (incl HTPC) › Mac Mini as a HTPC

mailmarshall

245 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 5

# 19574 22-Feb-2008 08:44

Hi

Just wondering if anyone is using a MacMini as a HTPC which has a tv tuner and EPG recording?

Would you bee keen to share details? of your setup e.g are you using Eyetv and Elgato tv tuner?

Thanks

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
63563 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 14052

Administrator

Trusted

Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

# 112242 22-Feb-2008 09:35

Are you interested in running Mac OS X or Windows Vista?

I have one running Windows Vista Media Center. More information in my blog and in some discussions in the forum.

Moire information here, here, and here.

Backblaze cloud backup (personal and business) | Geekzone broadband switch | Amazon (Geekzone aff) | MightyApe (Geekzone aff) |

My technology disclosure | Business Transformation | Enterprise Content Management | Customer Relationship Management | Sharesies investment fund

mailmarshall

245 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 5

# 112286 22-Feb-2008 13:38

freitasm: thanks for the reply.

Wow, runing Vista on the MacMini looks good but was wondering if anyone had a 'pure' Mac based HTPC..

Pretty much like you I have gone for the Mac Mini becuase its size (paper book) and it would be great to see if anyone has a Mac based solution. I don't have Vista Ultimate so cant go down your path but it looks awesome though.. :)

I can find articles on people overseas doing a Mac solution but none in NZ.

Perhaps one thing you could clarify for me is what compresion will the NZ DVB-T use once it goes live? I have heard that NZ will be different to the UK.

mruane

420 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 2

# 112637 24-Feb-2008 11:22

I have just purchased a Mac Mini and used boot camp to install Windows XP (following Mauricio's blog) then upgraded the XP installation to Vista Ultimate. Rather than attach a USB tuner - I have another machine running Media Portal's TVEngine3 and the Mac acts as a client to that server. The whole kit works very well.

The Mac does come with Media software which provides a failry comfortable front end and works well with the included remote, but it needs to interact with iTunes.

In the absence of Ultimate (and in my case - even with Ultimate) I would still go with Media Portal because it provides the most flexible alternative if you have a second machine that you can use as a TV server. If not, then a USB Tuner will do the job nicely with Media Portal and its inbuilt TV Engine.

The only issues I have to resolve is why the Mac takes so long to shut down!

Cheers Mike

peteinakl

22 posts

Geek

# 112646 24-Feb-2008 11:51

I'd have to second mruane. I am a Mac guy through and through, but the only comfortable solution for Mac OS X I have found over the past two years has always been MediaCentral; the weird thing is their hardware support keeps shrinking (probably to generate more revenue). Currently the only decoder they officially support is their own TubeStick, but as DVB-T (or DTT as I see it being called) in NZ will end up being H.264, I wouldn't commit to anything on the Mac until it's up and live.

My two cents: Even though I am not a fan of Windows, the bottom line is that a PC running MediaPortal will give give far more flexibility as many hardware vendors produce good peripherals with Windows support - I only wish the same were true for Apple.

mailmarshall

245 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 5

# 112827 25-Feb-2008 08:44

MrUANE and PETEINAKL: thaiks for your reply. Sounds like the Mac a little way to go before it matures in the HTPC arena. I was checkign out the new EyeTV 3 and the EyeTV250 tv tuners but apart from the fact that they are expensive and not much is known about their support of NZ DTT I would probably go down Mauricio's path (with Mac Mini and Vista Ultimate) or just wait.