Mini for a home entertainment system?

Rollo Tamasi

I'm going to get a home entertainment system in the next few weeks and I am trying to decide between a Mini and a small form custom built PC.

Just wondering if anyone is using a Mini hooked up to their TV for DVD playback and music stuff?

The problem I see with the Mini is the CD Drive firmware issue which allows you to switch from Region 1 to 2 only five times. This is pretty crappy if you're going to using the Mini as a DVD player.

Thoughts?

Chardee MacDennis

you should listen to the last episode of the podcast The MacCast, the last episode discusses the mac as the centre of a home entertainment system.

http://maccast.com/

SouperComputer

Right now OS X is a long way off the kind of integration and flexibilty that exists with Windows and Linux, that may change but for now OS X is not an ideal HTPC platform. Of course you can install windows on the Mac too if its the hardware that really appeals to you.

It really depends on exactly what kind of functionality and features you want though. What do you have in mind? Do you plan distributing it around the home or having it on one location? At those locations, what exactly do you want to access?

The problem I see with the Mini is the CD Drive firmware issue which allows you to switch from Region 1 to 2 only five times. This is pretty crappy if you're going to using the Mini as a DVD player.

Thats an industry standard thats not exclusive to Mac, it applies to all DVD drives. Assuming you cant get whats called an RPC1 firmware installer for OS X, you could install Windows, flash the firmware from there and install DVD Region X in OS X to change the region. Or you could pull out the drive and flash it in a PC.

The RPC 1 firmware makes the drive region free as the hardware level, however most DVD player software wont talk to an RPC-1 drive, thats where DVD region X comes it, it basically lies to the software about the region and RPC.

Then there's VLC which will play pretty much anything.

flywheel

SouperComputer wrote: »

Assuming you cant get whats called an RPC1 firmware installer for OS X, you could install Windows, flash the firmware from there and install DVD Region X in OS X to change the region. Or you could pull out the drive and flash it in a PC.

The RPC 1 firmware makes the drive region free as the hardware level, however most DVD player software wont talk to an RPC-1 drive, thats where DVD region X comes it, it basically lies to the software about the region and RPC.

Then there's VLC which will play pretty much anything.

in relation to the DVD region situation on the Mac... isn't there an issue with the Mat****a DVD drives (on newer models), which is reported online to do a double check on the disk region (insertion and during playback?), booting into Windows or running VLC don't sort it either... at least not on my MacBook's UJ-857D (KBVB)...

i've seen some 'custom' firmware posted online to re-flash it... but the risk of rendering my MacBook's drive inoperable isn't appealing...

have found it much easier to bypass region swapping on PC hardware... unfortunately another thing Mac hardware does better

Sad Professor

DubWireless wrote: »

in relation to the DVD region situation on the Mac... isn't there an issue with the Mat****a DVD drives (on newer models), which is reported online to do a double check on the disk region (insertion and during playback?), booting into Windows or running VLC don't sort it either... at least not on my MacBook's UJ-857D (KBVB)...

Yeah that's right. VLC can't even do anything with them. Afaik they were used mostly in macbooks. I'm not sure what drives are used in the mini, they might be ok.

kevmac

I have a Mac Mini being used as a Media Centre.

Ripped all my DVDs on to it and hooked it up by HDMI to Sony 42 LCD.

5000 photos in iPhoto.

1200 songs in iTunes hooked up to Airport Express into my amp and hi-fi in the other room.

Have it all hooked up to Airport Extreme so I can also stream everything to my old G4 PB upstairs.

Also picked up a cheap SlingBox in Dixons and watch TV upstairs at night on the laptop.

Use Front Row as main interface - even my 3 1/2 year-old son is getting the hang of it.

Rollo Tamasi

SouperComputer wrote: »

It really depends on exactly what kind of functionality and features you want though. What do you have in mind? Do you plan distributing it around the home or having it on one location? At those locations, what exactly do you want to access?

The Mini would be hooked up the TV with the audio going via an Amp. There would be no need to have it distributed around the house.

Call_me_al wrote:

you should listen to the last episode of the podcast The MacCast, the last episode discusses the mac as the centre of a home entertainment system.

http://maccast.com/

Cheers, listening now.

BanzaiBk

I've been using my original Mac Mini as a media centre for nearly 2 yrs now. I have all my DVDs backed up onto the mini's HD, have 600 "Favourite Photos" on iPhoto and occasionally use it for the internet. I'm using a wireless kb/mouse and can surf the net from my couch if I feel like it. I too use front row as my main interface. I also have an Apple TV, but generally use that in my own bedroom.

jpfahy

I'm the same as KevinMac and BanzaiBK, have a mini under my 32in LCD TV. My original DVDs were ripped via handbrake to the hard disk and have now been put into storage! I think this use of the mini is totally underrated. If Apple had pushed this and not bothered with Apple TV they would have sold truckloads of them. The mini in this guise is also ideal for a small space like an apartment where there isn't room for a computer and a big TV, it does both jobs.