Another week another mac clone mac htpc the mac mini htpc. If there are any mac mini htpc owners out there, id love to hear from you and what youve learned, any suggestions. Aug 21, 2009 now that you have your mac mini configured and connected to your home theater system for a good visual hookup guide check out roberts mac mini media center post, its time to actually put. After reading this post on reddit i decided to install the following software. Top 4 htpc operating system comparisons media experience. Owc wants to turn your mac mini into a supercharged htpc. You can also send a project from your iphone or ipad to your mac for finishing. How to turn your old computer into the ultimate media center.
Apr, 2020 the small size of the aerb mini wireless keyboard with touchpad might make it hard for some people to use but it is an ideal choice for those looking for a compact controller for their home theater. When looking at software i was new for most of the programs so i did a lot of reading. It is a powerful entertainment center for windows, linux, android and mac os x that is capable of playing most available media file types. New mac mini software home theatre macrumors forums. Make your home workspace more comfortable with this softacare. I recently sold my jailbroken apple tv because i decided to use my mac mini as a htpc just wasnt using it as a computer, use my laptop all the time. To say it was a massive change would be an understatement, but i had a nostalgic feeling towards my old mac mini. Once linked, you will be able to record live television programs. A home theater pc htpc or media center computer is a convergent device that combines. Oct 23, 2010 windows media center is the most known 10foot user interface, but many other media center software are compatible with windows nowadays. Part one of how to turn a mac mini into a home theater pc with a few easy steps. Jan 28, 2011 honestly, none of this isnt stuff you cant do to your mac mini yourself, but owc is hoping to catch the attention of apple lovers who would like a real mac controlling their home theater.
This client went all out, the results were incredible, and she can indeed control the whole thing on her ipad or iphone or ipod. Mac os x can provide hardware video decoding for h. Plex is remarkable software that turns a mac mini connected to a tv into an internetbased media center that makes the most of the macs software and integrates metadata information about movies. Youll need to provide your own monitor, keyboard, and mouse or. This client just purchased an ipad mini and wanted to be able to control the entire system with her ipad mini. Perhaps more important than that, the mac mini is now the first mac ever to include builtin hdmi. So, a mini with the i7 and an egpu could match or even beat the top imac and compete with the base imac pro. These offer a wider range of file types that can be played, along with the ability to stream many types of content. It appears that there is an issue with plex and the apple remote where any button presses while in plex continue on to the operating systems default behavior. Turning your mac into an htpc home theater pc is a great project. Now that the hardware is setup, its time for the software. Mac a macintosh computer with an intel core duo processor 1. The new mac mini is apples version of a barebones computer.
Read on for tips and tricks to get the most out of your machines hardware and software, as we transform a 2009 mac mini into the ultimate. I currently have a 46 samsung tv and would like to know what hardware and software i need to make this become a reality. In recent years, other types of consumer electronics, including gaming systems and dedicated media devices, have crossed over to manage. First of i set up an evernote account so that i could post links from my phoneipadmacbook and get them from my mac mini. I do love apple products, so i am in a way biased after much testing in regards to the best htpc on the market, when it comes down to it, i think the mac mini is a solid contender for the best htpc on the market today. Home theater pc drive your tv and media experience with a media pc. Mac mini audiophiles and purists or home theater mac mini htpc folk may prefer the optical minitoslink option built inside of the minis dualfunction sound jack. There is only a limited number of tv capture devices that work with the mac and all of them use the eyetv software, so you can go with just about any of them. I was wondering what software people install on their new lion macminis for home theatre use.
It sports an hdmi port, which allows you to jack the computer directly into your tv or hdmicompatible av receiver. Mar 18, 2020 if you plan to use the mac mini as a home theater pc for streaming to a tv, or as a basic productivity machine that uses web apps heavily, youll be set with one of the best mini pcs on the market. Honestly, none of this isnt stuff you cant do to your mac mini yourself, but owc is hoping to catch the attention of apple lovers who would like a real mac controlling their home theater. Any mac will do though the mac minis size is a nice fit for home theater. The mac mini is a perfect candidate for such a setup.
Media portal can turn your pc into a home theater and video recorder. Mac mini home theater the mac mini is a small form factor computer particularly popular as a home theater solution. Macos pcs macs entertainment software home theater streaming media mac mini. Control a home theater system with an ipad or iphone epr. Jan 25, 20 an example of what can be done using a mac mini as a media center. After years of consumer complaints, apple finally bowed to. Indeed, the updated unibody mac mini is notable as apples first computer to include an hdmi video port to connect to a television or other display. You can start cutting a project on your iphone, then use airdrop or icloud drive to wirelessly transfer it to your ipad.
Apples new ipad pro, macbook air, mac mini, and more. Linux and mac os xbased computers that is great for streaming media files across your home network. Control a home theater system with an ipad or iphone. The latest mac mini has a slick new look with its darker. Kodi formerly xbmc is a free and open source media player application developed by the xbmckodi foundation, a nonprofit technology consortium. The enclosure itself has been updated to a unibody aluminum construction similar to the macbook pro, and the server mac mini omits an optical drive entirely in favor of dual hard drives this was the case for the previous server model ed. Guide to using your mac as an htpc home theater pc lifewire. Oct 10, 2011 using a mac mini mediacenter is one of the smartest move i have made. Why do so many people hate windows i have always been a proud windows user, but i am currently writing on a mac mini, own an ipad, ipod touch and iphone, and use linux based home theater pc. If you plan to use the mac mini as a home theater pc for streaming to a tv, or as a basic productivity machine that uses web apps heavily, youll be set. I have tried many different home theater solutions without being completely satisfied. Apple computer is one of the most powerful players in the world of specialty audio video even if they are known more for their macintosh operating system and computers like the imac, mac pro, mac. Top 10 best htpc software for your tv media experience.
I was wondering what software people install on their new lion mac minis for home theatre use. Personally, what i did, was to download and test all this on my desktop before i went out and purchased the mac mini. Using a mac mini mediacenter is one of the smartest move i have made. Home theater media center guide apple mac upgrades. Todays mac mini offers other advantages as a media server. Home entertainment system download bose corporation. Crenova xpe496 mini projector, full hd 1080p and 170 display supported, portable mini video projector, 50,000 hours led, compatible with pc, mac, tv, amazon fire stick, roku, iphone, ipad, ps. A couple years ago i upgraded my trustworthy 2007 mac mini to a brand new 27. Reviews noted it is possible to purchase small computers at the same price with faster processors, better graphics card, more memory, and more storage. This is an important distinction to make, as the vast majority of applications made for pc usage are meant to be used on a desktop with mouse and keyboard and the user sitting close to the screen. Mac htpc 101 set up your own home theater 8 bit soul.
Lets outline the feature set of the mac mini as it pertains to home theater pcs. An example of what can be done using a mac mini as a media center. The small size has made the mac mini particularly popular as a home theater solution. Aug 21, 2009 the mac mini has always been the perfect form factor for a media center appliance often called a home theater pchtpc. Mac mini as a home theater system hello all, i would like to create a home theater system, that can function as a dvr, i can watch my dvd collection that i have backed up onto an external hd, and possibly stream to other computers throughout my house. Plex is remarkable software that turns a mac mini connected to a tv into an internetbased media center that makes the most of the mac s software and integrates metadata information about movies.
These are usually smallercased computers, running some sort of media software. Feb 10, 2010 part one of how to turn a mac mini into a home theater pc with a few easy steps. An i7 will boost video processing and rendering software, like cadcam due to hyperthreading. Crosstour projector, mini led video projector home theater supporting 1080p 55,000 hours lamp life compatible with hdmiusbsd cardvgaav and smartphone. Loosing a bit of money in the process too, trying out different solutions. Mac htpc, mac mini, htpc, home theater pc, movies, tv, plex, kodi, drobo, emulators, dolphin, television, xmbc, mythtv, flirc, comic reader, open emu. Kodi is available for multiple operatingsystems and hardware platforms, featuring a 10foot user interface for use with televisions and remote controls. With an hdmi cable, you can connect to your hdtv as an extralarge monitor, or even use your mac mini as a dedicated home theater server for streaming your itunes music and movie collection. How to turn your old computer into the ultimate media.
It kept pushing through the years and never let me down. The mac mini has always been the perfect form factor for a media center appliance often called a home theater pchtpc. Mac mini home theater making the mac mini the centerpiece. With its hdmi port, is the new mac mini the home theater. Now that you have your mac mini configured and connected to your home theater system for a good visual hookup guide check out roberts. We talk about what well see in the new ipad pro, macbook air, mac mini, and more. Join our large community of audiophiles, engineers and diyers using our innovative products. Mac os also includes a variety of apps for creativity and productivity, so you can get started right away without buying and installing lots of other software. A home theater pc htpc or media center computer is a convergent device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that supports video, photo, audio playback, and sometimes video recording functionality. Not all of them are free you know many years ago i had the original.
For 1080p home theater setups the older lessexpensive models such as my base model 2012 still work fine, but im also curious if anyone has. If you think that having a mini tower sitting on the floor next to your entertainment stand is 733t then there is a reasonable chance youre not a huge fan of os x anyway. Aug 24, 2017 htpc software is short for home theater pc software. In addition to its own frontend software, plex media player, the backend server application is compatible with many other frontends like kodi. In general, the mac mini has been praised as a relatively affordable computer with a solid range of features. Apple on wednesday released a bunch of new products. A mac mini as a home theater pc showing apples discontinued front row interface. This is a mac mini that will appeal to the biggest section of the mac mini market pros who dont need it for everything, but do need it for very specific things, and find its usability and utility more than justifies its price, especially when it comes to the software it can run and the uptime it can keep. The mac mini home theater blog how to use a mac mini as. By doing this, the drive will always mount when you turn on your mini, saving you that extra step. Htpc software is short for home theater pc software.
This one is for advanced users that want to set up their home theater computer to link to their television. I like the hd homerun as i can watch tv on 2 computers instead of 1. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or instore pickup. This is a mac mini that will appeal to the biggest section of the mac mini market pros who dont need it for everything, but do need it for very specific things, and find its usability and utility more than justifies its price, especially when it. With its hdmi port, is the new mac mini the home theater computer youve been waiting for. Its compact and its form factor integrates easily with most home theater setups.
Youll need to provide your own monitor, keyboard, and mouse or trackpad. Make your mac minis digital output go analog with this adapter from apple. This software update adds new features and remote control codes that your system will likely need to work with these new devices. Ready to upgrade your mac mini home theater to latest operating system offering from apple. An htpc system typically has a remote control and the software interface normally has a 10foot 3 m user interface design so that it can be. They are connected through hdmi port and the receiver only shows pcm on it, instead of dolby digital as expected. Flip4mac perian vlc 64bit handbrake hotspotshield for streaming netflix and tv shows outside of the us vuze dropbox flash safari plugin. A special minitostandard tos link adapter or cable with a mini end is needed. It is particularly popular as a home theater solution. Mac mini home theater a journal following the conversion of my home theater to center around a new 2009 mac mini. Now that you have your mac mini configured and connected to your home theater system for a good visual hookup guide check out roberts mac mini media center post, its time to. Jul 01, 2017 plex media server is a backend application for windows, linux and mac os xbased computers that is great for streaming media files across your home network. Mac mini home theater the mac mini is a small form factor computer.
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