State of My Mac Mini HTPC
It’s been a while since I last posted and that’s actually a good thing. While I’ve had some additions to my Mac HTPC enviornment (that I’ll be posting about shortly), mostly I’ve been enjoying the most valueable asset any set-up can offer: stability. I still remember stumbling through temporary fixes like Core Audio when trying to squeeze all the functionality I wanted from my Mac Mini.
So I’m especially grateful when I enjoy rock-solid performance from my Mini. Currently, I’m still living off the Holy trinity of Plex, EyeTV, and Remote Buddy. My old Mini finally started to give up the ghost around Christmas, so I bought a new Mini (specifically, the Mac Mini MC815LL/A
This was a long time coming: I’d upgraded the processor myself on the old Mini, along with installing a new hard drive – I’d pushed it well past its limits and it had earned the life it now has surfing the internet and checking email for an elderly couple in Colorado.
And the new Mini was light years beyond the old machine in performance stats. It chews up tasks I didn’t even try on my old Mini – mainly, transcoding EyeTV live streams for my iPhone/iPad while watching other HD programming via EyeTV or Plex. I can also run iCam in the background for my home security system (again, full write-up coming soon!). Plus, I’ve saved so much money cutting the satellite/cable cord, that absorbing the cost was much easier.
After experimenting with a compact 5.1 receiver (Yamaha YMC-500BL
I also consolidated all of my external storage into one device (the ProBox 4 Bay Hard Drive Enclosure
Otherwise, everything is rock solid. I flirted with OSXBMC for a minute due to its ability to play Amazon Prime videos, smooth EyeTV library integration, and the ability to customize home screen shortcuts. But instability in every version I tried combined with difficulty replicating the remote shortcuts I’m used to in Plex sent me running back to Plex.
…and that’s Plex/Eight, incidentally. While I love lots about Plex/Nine, it has creates serious holes in my personal HTPC workflow that I’ll be detailing shortly. But Eight is still killing it for me in the area I care most about: stability.
Read MoreUsing EyeTV With Plex
When I switched from XBMC to Plex, I lost little functionality beyond their beta EyeTV plug-in.
But this was a tough hit to take because I split my time between the two programs: EyeTV for my live TV stuff and Plex for my movies and TV library. Combining the two has always been a dream but doesn’t seem to be in the cards based on El Gato’s total lack of interest in making EyeTV more of a media manager than it already is.
Read MoreMac Mini as a Media Center
As a brief introduction to what this site is all about, I wanted to detail exactly how my Intel Mac Mini acts as a media hub to demonstrate what YOUR Mini can do for you!
Read MoreLive HDTV over a Home Network
I’ve had a couple of request lately for a chart detailing exactly how my HDTV/Mac set-up is, well, set up. So I opened up Photoshop and put this together, detailing all of the components involved in viewing and recording free(!) HD programming onto a Mac and then watching it over my home network on multiple Macs.
Read MoreStarPlayr – Sirius for Mac
I’m all about consolidating as many components into as few devices as possible. But sometimes additional hardware is unavoidable. This is how I felt about my beloved Sirius Satellite Radio. Commercial-free channels like Chill, Alt Nation, and (yes) Big 80s mean I’ve been willing to add a Sirius receiver to my spartan set of HTPC hardware to get the amazing programming into my Mini.
Read MorePlex 8 Review
BOTTOM LINE: Plex is hands-down the finest media manager/player available for the Mac HTPC enviornment. Gorgeous and exponentially more flexible than Front Row, it rules HD playback, handling 1080p material with ease.
Read MoreBoost Your iPhone’s Signal
Record HDTV On Your Mac
