Comments on: Use Your Mac Mini as a Media Server Part 1

By: lisa

lisa — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:04:42 +0000

so how do you set upthe password when you turn on they want your ues name and passworld please

By: Zaphod

Zaphod — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:27:44 +0000

What Mac (or PC) software does the best job of converting DVDs to MPEG4?
I have tried several – Handbrake, etc. – and all seem to convert the Dolby 5.1 to
2 channe.l Bummer!
Any suggestions for the best method to upscale DVD to 1080p?
Nvidia board? External scaler? Scaler built in display?

By: Whitston

Whitston — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:38:57 +0000

Question for MATT. I have an Apple TV, but can only play what is put on Itunes and synced to the Apple TV. Could you tell me in detail how you access files on your computer hard drive and play them? Also, what format are the files?

Jim

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 07:05:10 +0000

“For one thing, the AppleTV limits you to either playing movies locally, or streaming them from iTunes. This poses a bit of a problem to those of us who have massive, 300 GB collections of AVIs on our server.”

Maybe I read this wrong or maybe things have changed since this article was written, but I have a couple hundred GB of media on a PC that I stream to my HDTV via an Apple TV.
I don’t have a single file stored on my Apple TV’s hard drive. All my media is on my PC and streams to my Apple TV. Very easy to manage, and backup as well.

By: Zaphod

Zaphod — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:41:49 +0000

I have been using an imac with 2.8GHz Intel Duo with Radeon HD2600 as my media server. I see no real need for VNC. I have found itunes and FrontRow entirely adequate to manage 8+ TB of movies and music beautifully. I use separate outputs to a home theatre with Pioneer receiver and satellite speakers and to a 2 channel high-end stereo – PS Audio D/A converter, T+A component tube pre-amp and power amp, and Vandersteen Vs.
I would like your advice as to the best Mac to use for the best video display. A number of my MPEG4 files are 1080p, but lots are simply converted DVDs from software like Handbrake. What does the best job of scaling up to my Pioneer 65″ 1080p display. Is there a better video card I can get or is it better to rely on the Mini’s use of the primary processor for video [I'm told it does that, but don't really know]. Any other suggestions appreciated.

By: David

David — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:09:59 +0000

Surely this is how to use your Mac mini as a media centre, rather than as a media server?? There’s a big difference!!

By: John Owens

John Owens — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:55:17 +0000

This is a great setup and with the iPhone you can also use it (jail-broken) as a remote control either to control your iTunes library (very cook apps available like Signal or SimplifyMedia) or to control your desktop with TouchPad Pro via VNC.

That and you could link it to a Timemachine with 1TB of storage. Cool

But I have one question. How is video playback performance at full HD (1028p) and how is the sound quality (any hiss at high levels).

By: Richard Sheppard

Richard Sheppard — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:42:46 +0000

Excellent stuff! Personally, I struggle to find enough time to do this sort of thing, and I don’t have a Mac Mini. But I really like great ways to use a Mac.

Last year, one of our members at the Midlands Mac User Group (MMUG) did a presentation on how he set his up, and we videoed the meeting. You can see it here:

http://www.mmug.org.uk/event/mac-mini-media-centre

I’ll add a link back on our site to this article.

Cheers,

Richard

By: skivinator

skivinator — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 18:19:34 +0000

I think that switching over to a mini as a media server has been one of the best moves I've ever made. Check out my set-up HERE

By: flo

flo — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 17:35:38 +0000

If you want to use your mac mini with a touchscreen (as a music-jukebox), check out rMediaTouch for OSX:
http://www.versiontracker.com/.....cosx/29188

greets