 HiVoltPremium
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON
kudos:17
 ·TekSavvy DSL
 ·TekSavvy Cable
| reply to BeesTea
Re: [OS X] Mini as an HTPC I've been using a mini for a HTPC going back to my G4 mini... At first I just used VLC, but at some point even on the old G4 mini I discovered Plex... And I've been using it ever since... I've gone thru the first gen Intel mini, but that wasnt great for HD video due to the GMA950 GPU... I have since been using a 2009 mini which has a nVidia 9400M GPU and it works just fine for anything I throw at it.
But I do not use Apple Store content. 
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F**K THE NHL. Go Blue Jays 2013!!!
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 skeechanAi OtsukaholicPremium
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170
kudos:2
·Cox HSI
 ·Clear Wireless
| I used a Mini but got tired of de-authorizing and reauthorizing (because I'm at my 5 PC limit) while ATV doesn't have the limits. I just rip videos to 1080P MP4 and stream everything to ATV using iTunes on the host iMac (vids are also good for my 4th gen iPad).
Only thing I miss on ATV is Crunchyroll but that's on PS3 and XBOX.
When I did use the Mini, I didn't use any particular interface for videos or music; just VLC or iTunes depending on what I watched along with the FAVI Mini bluetooth keyboard which includes a laser pointer for harassing my dogs.
»www.amazon.com/FAVI-Entertainmen···_cp_pc_1 |
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 darciliciousCyber LibrarianPremium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
kudos:2
 ·Frontier FiOS
| Love the FAVI remote/keyboard.
I also love Plex -- for non-protected iTunes content, if the the Plex Media Server is installed on the same system as the iTunes library, the Plex Media Center (the playback software) will work pick up your iTunes stuff (not good for iTunes purchased video, unfortunately because of DRM, but trailers work fine for example).
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♬ Dragon of good fortune struggles with the trickster Fox ♬ |
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 djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
kudos:1
 ·VOIPo
·Verizon Wireless..
·RoadRunner Cable
·AT&T U-Verse
| reply to HiVolt
My answer will make you all cringe.  I'd been using a C2D mini for years. I liked that it was small, quiet, and included an optical audio port. I ran Windows Media Center as the UI, it was too slow under OSX with HD video. The same hardware had no trouble with HD playback under Windows at all (using Core AVC decoder).
I finally upgraded it to a newer mini, mostly so I could mess around with a Wii emulator. I might give OSX-based HTPCing a try again.
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AT&T U-Hearse - RIP Unlimited Internet 1995-2011
Rethink Billable.
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| If you'd stuck with Mac software/HTPC you'd of had no problems......my old C2D is still chugging along with almost everything I throw at it Plex/Boxee/Slingbox/Vulkano/Itunes/Qnap NAS/PowerBay NAS
....all on a wireless network.......albeit it's getting a wee bit frazzled of late........... |
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