Home Theater Mac mini Demonstration

[PinoDeNerd]

If open my imac in the network folder on my mac mini it shows nothing how to set the films online so that you can see them from my imac on my mac mini

[saahil913]

was it boxi



[Enderwiggan1]

How did you network your macs?

[5876mg]

@Enderwiggan1 He has a Time Capsule from the Apple store! It's like Wi-Fi.

[morton16ok]

wow. Good job setting stuff up but it seems kinda pointless since the display is only slightly bigger than your macbook pro... You could have set up a wireless network and extended your macbook pro to a projector and cut out the mini altogether since it isn't really being utilized anyway.

[evanisvinks14]

your hands shake alot

[technogeek71]

TORRENT

[62bigduke]

You said you use XBMC, I would love for you to make a tutorial video on using XBMC to include how to add addons and how to set it all up. I have not found one on youtube, and I am frustrated on how to make it work.

[DetroitBORG]

@62bigduke There probably is a good reason why there isn't one, it's definitely a handful.

[louididdy]

@skrbicdu Yes you can. If you get Remote Buddy it allows you to use any remote (Harmony, Mac Remote) to interact with your mac's programs. I use it to control Boxee and pretty much can tell my Mac to do anything with it (Sleep, Restart, Shut Down, launch any program, etc.).

[JMGameVideos]

The speakers shouldnt be so close together, just a tip.

[theavantridiculous]

nice, but who uses firefox on a mac? also, why don't you pimp out your desktop a bit, hide that shit at the bottom and make large icons in the center? love the mouse.

[DetroitBORG]

@theavantridiculous I don't use Firefox anymore, this is quite old. And you're right, to do this right you need to streamline your dock to just the Home Theater apps.

[glenndavis06]

whats up man what did you need to hook all that up

[DetroitBORG]

@glenndavis06 I needed a mini TOS-link to TOS cable adapter to connect the audio, and a Minidisplay port to HDMI adapter to connect the video. The new Mac mini has a HDMI output which combines video and audio, definitely the way to go!

[DetroitBORG]

@skrbicdu I honestly can't remember since it's been years since I initially setup the Harmony for my Apple products. But there is a learning mode which Logitech will take you through if they don't recognize the device you're adding. I'm fairly certain Logitech has the code for the Apple products. They are all the same, From Apple TV to Mac to the A/V Docks.

[DetroitBORG]

@skrbicdu Yes, it can be programed to work just like the Apple remote which is designed to work with Front Row.

[mattnanokid]

Hi, I'm thinking about getting a mac mini soon.. I won't be using it as a media center, but I do have movies and music, and other media on my PC right now. I don't plan on getting one with a large hard drive. Is it possible to stream media on a PC to a Mac? Thanks

[DetroitBORG]

@mattnanokid Yes, you can actually use the media apps I demonstrated in this video to stream from a PC. I like Plex, Hulu, and XBMC. XBMC has some great support pages for showing you how to network to your PC or NAS server. Before I had the Macs, I actually used XBMC on my Apple TV to stream content from my old HP desktop.

[mattnanokid]

@DetroitBORG Thanks. I will try this soon when I get the mac mini.

[robbieba]

how in the world are you getting 5.1? the mac mini dosent have an optical port? where did you get the adapter?

[DetroitBORG]

Yes, the Mac mini has a combined optical digital audio output/headphone out (minijack) You simply need to buy the right connector to take advantage of it. I found one on Amazon for a few dollars. Just search for Toslink To Optical Mini Adapter.

[DetroitBORG]

I've also heard of an adapter that will combine the audio and video outputs into a single HDMI output, but it's pricey and I can't seem to find it listed on Amazon.

[DetroitBORG]

And just to clarify, I used a mini jack to TOS link cable instead of an adapter.

[phenix0005]

@robbieba The mac mini does have an opticlal port. it is a mini optical port in the headphone jack. you just have to buy an adapter

[eatthemoon13]

Loved the video. so can i play back blue ray files i download etc and avi bla bla and does it still look just as good etc? thanks I know ill need codecs

[DetroitBORG]

Yes, the Mac mini is really a desktop computer. Anything you can do on your desktop, you can do on the Mac mini.

[FarmsProduction]

how big is that monitor ????

[DetroitBORG]

@FarmsProduction It's just a 42" Plasma.

[ferrariguy25]

Wow!! I found this video by chance. It was suggested to me on the front page. I don't have a Mac Mini unfortunately but I do love to stream content to my HDTV so the AirMouse app suggested looks awesome! I think I will look into getting Boxee for my PC too. Thanks a lot!

[DetroitBORG]

Glad I could help! The Air Mouse app has been improved dramatically since this demo, so there's even better functionality. I also use a VNC app to remotely control the Mac mini from my iPhone/iPod.

[Meta221]

y not use the apple tv instead?

[DetroitBORG]

The Apple TV's hardware can't handle the higher bit rate HD codecs, even when hacked.

[pixeltater]

does boxee stream everything straight out of the imacs itunes library or does the content have to be stored in a separate folder(s)? thanks

[DetroitBORG]

I have Boxee configured on the SMB protocol, so it streams directly from my iMacs file directory, not iTunes.

[hakadvocaten]

Why do people have a Logitech harmony?

Everything is in the computer now; music, video, browser and email. Just hook it up to your tv and stereo and voila!

[DetroitBORG]

That's one solution, but you still have multiple components that need to be controlled. The A/V Receiver, TV, and Computer (at minimum). If you hung an iMac on your wall, then you could conceivably get by with just an Apple Remote (physical or virtual).

[hakadvocaten]

Oh yeah, I forgot that you could also control your computer with it...

[ieatpplatnight]

hey, i have one question: i have the same hdtv as you do and i wired my mini the same way too. However when the screen shows up, parts of the dock and top toolbar are covered up. so then i unchecked overscan. now there is a boarder of unused tv space around the screen. can you help?

[DetroitBORG]

Unfortunately, I also have the same overscan problem. There is a utility for OSX that can help you correct this issue. It is a bit of a pain, but give it a try. It's called DisplayConfigX and will allow you to set a custom resolution.

[ieatpplatnight]

heh, i actually just downloaded that. the software is way to complex for me.

[movieluv94]

is that an xmod rc on ur speaker?

[DetroitBORG]

No, it's a Maisto 1:18 scale model of the Audi R8.

[teddysdrop]

nice

[fang663]

太棒了！祖国大陆网友发来贺电

[mattdotts]

that iphone app is so cool, wow i would use that as a remote

[DetroitBORG]

Yes, I love the app, probably one of my favorite iPhone apps. There are so many remote apps, but this remains my favorite. I even prefer this to the DiNovo mini, although it's a nuissance to wake the phone/ipod when you need to use the remote.

Another way to remotely control your mac mini home theater is using a VNC client, which can actually work quite fast over a home network.

[TheMustangMen]

What does Apple TV do? From the look of it it looks like it's used to bring your computer to your TV... Am I right?

[DetroitBORG]

It's an iTunes client for your Home Theater. If you hack it, you can bring more than iTunes content to your home theater. Essentially, you can make it run the home theater software I demonstrated on the Mac mini, although the hardware on the Apple TV limits most HD quality codecs.

[totalfugazi]

You should try Plex with the Snatch app for iphone/ipod touch, works great.

[DetroitBORG]

Shortly after I did this demo, I did instal and run Plex. However, I hadn't heard of "Snatch", but I just bought the app and I'll try it out. Thanks for the tip!

[hamnio]

Can the dinovo mini power on & power off a Mac?

[rkilbane20]

wow thats is one sweet setup.

You own every mac product?

Mini

Macbook

iMac

iPhone

Apple TV

Time Capsule

[DetroitBORG]

Thanks,

It's easier to ask which Apple product I don't own ;) Which would be the MacPro and Monitor :(.

[DJscooterTEAM]

you have to get one just to finish the collection

[DetroitBORG]

Well, that's a hard game to play when there is always something new around the corner to replace them. After buying the MacBook 1 month before the update, I've decided to always wait for new models before buying.

All in all, the iMac remains by favorite machine by far :)

[DJscooterTEAM]

yeah i love my imac

[M4CUSER]

very very cool!

[shottasinc32]

I love the video. very nice set-up too.

[COD4fanboi]

cool

[ddiiggiitt]

Beautiful setup.