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Create a Home Theater System with a Mac mini
Wednesday, March 14th, 2007 at 3:00 PM - by John Martellaro
A Mac mini has the capability to become a capable home theater system. While it has a DVI connector, and it may seem easy in principle to connect it to a TV, selecting the right additional hardware and software tools can really make the difference. The details were published at HDTV Magazine.
A Home Theater PC (HTPC) with a Mac mini can be a minimalist affair. Connect the DVI out to a TV and play DVDs. Or it can be much more than that. For example, additional storage, some network hardware and some key software can turn a Mac Mini into a serious home theater system.
In the author's system, the Mac Mini was connected to a Samsung DLP HDTV, and the Mac Mini was put on a gigabit wired network with a gigabit switch. The external storage was connected via FireWire, and the 400 Mbps transfer rate was more than enough to support HD.
But the real payoff comes from selecting the right software tools for accessing and displaying the content. Remote Buddy allows the user to bypass a mouse and keyboard. DVDPedia was used to catalog and play DVDs. Additional software was used to convert movies into MPEG 4 format. And, of course, VLC, one of the best media playback applications for the Mac is a must.
"Where RemoteBuddy adds functionality DVDPedia adds style! This application turns the mini into a best of breed video server. The best way to describe DVDPedia is that it's a DVD cataloging application that can do so much more. One of the nicest things about DVDPedia is how easy it is to add information about your DVD titles," the author said.
The story confirms what we all know: modern products like the Mac mini have a lot of capability. However, when combined with other hardware and software, and when the recipe for success is outlined by someone who's been there and done it, the results can be amazing.
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