Any mac will do though the mac minis size is a nice fit for home theater. If you think that having a mini tower sitting on the floor next to your entertainment stand is 733t then there is a reasonable chance youre not a huge fan of os x anyway. Sonos launches arc premium home theater soundbar with dolby. Pretty good, but by no means perfect, the mac mini is an excellent. Mac mini as a home theater system hello all, i would like to create a home theater system, that can function as a dvr, i can watch my dvd collection that i have backed up onto an external hd, and possibly stream to other computers throughout my house.
Most mini pcs run either windows or linux, and a few run chrome os, but the venerable apple mac mini, running macos, also fits neatly into this category as well. If there are any mac mini htpc owners out there, id love to hear from you and what youve learned, any suggestions. Mac mini features the apple t2 security chip secondgeneration custom mac silicon designed by apple to make mac mini even more secure. The small size of the aerb mini wireless keyboard with touchpad might make it hard for some people to use but it is an ideal choice for those looking for a compact controller for their home theater. I recently sold my jailbroken apple tv because i decided to use my mac mini as a htpc just wasnt using it. Mac os also includes a variety of apps for creativity and productivity, so you can get started right away without buying and installing lots of other software. Guide to using your mac as an htpc home theater pc lifewire. Todays mac mini offers other advantages as a media server.
The mac mini home theater blog how to use a mac mini as a htpc. Mac mini software how the mac mini works howstuffworks. A special mini tostandard tos link adapter or cable with a mini end is needed. Mac mini home theater making the mac mini the centerpiece. The mac mini is a perfect candidate for such a setup. Its extremely small, almost completely silent and it can easily blend into. If youre already familiar with macs, youll recognize many of the features of os x lion and catch some new additions to apples newest operating system.
Home theater system using a mac mini and plex popsugar tech. I am not using this mac mini for all its capabilities to say the least. Mac mini 2018 teaches an old design new tricks cnet. A mac mini as a home theater pc showing apples discontinued front row interface a home theater pc htpc or media center computer is a convergent device that combines some or all the capabilities of a personal computer with a software application that supports video, photo, audio playback, and sometimes video recording functionality. Opera chair mini home theater app is the most user friendly application for casting your favorite music, movies, videos to play on your smart tv.
The next thing youre going to inevitably want to investigate is speaker cabinet design software. From configuring your pc to choosing the right accessories, follow this guide to setting. It appears that there is an issue with plex and the apple remote where any button presses while in plex. The small size has made the mac mini particularly popular as a home theater solution. It is infinitely customizable with its plugin based architecture. A wide variety of home electronic items can be found in the interiors library category. A mac mini as a home theater pc showing apples discontinued front row interface. It is one of four desktop computers in the current macintosh lineup, serving as an alternative to the allinone imac, and sits below the performance range imac pro and mac pro. Hooking up your computer to your tv goes beyond a video cable. Aug 21, 2009 the mac mini has always been the perfect form factor for a media center appliance often called a home theater pchtpc. Home theater pc software, devices, and related articles. Home theater design software free download home theater design.
Not all of them are free you know many years ago i had the original. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or instore pickup. Some of this can be done with apples airplay, the rest with thirdparty software solutions. The software acts as a front end for all your media such as tvshows, music, movies and games. Feb 10, 2010 part two of how to turn a mac mini into a home theater pc with a few easy steps. It sports an hdmi port, which allows you to jack the computer directly into your tv or hdmicompatible av receiver. After some time with the longawaited update to apples mini pc, were impressed overall but still have one big reservation. I think in terms of energy and reflections and buildup of low frequencies and stuff like that, speakers are just sound sources to me. A special minitostandard tos link adapter or cable with a mini end is needed. The mac mini stylized with a lowercase mini is a desktop computer made by apple inc. It was initially designed for computer monitors, but the program was. Sep 14, 2010 when looking at software i was new for most of the programs so i did a lot of reading. Aug 21, 2009 now that you have your mac mini configured and connected to your home theater system for a good visual hookup guide check out roberts mac mini media center post, its time to actually put.
It carries over the design of the previous generation in a darker space gray. We see how the latest version of the mac mini stacks up against the prior generation for use as a home theater mac. Were living in a truly golden era for home theater, as the. While you can certainly design a box, do your own math, and add your own drivers, investing in a good piece of speaker design software will do wonders. Utilities to really make your mac mini the ultimate htpc, it helps to have.
Mac mini audiophiles and purists or home theater mac mini htpc folk may prefer the optical minitoslink option built inside of the minis dualfunction sound jack. The mac mini is apples only consumer desktop computer since 1998 to ship. I am producing an instructional book which details how to set up a mac minibased home theater. Kodi is a free media player that is designed to look great on your big screen tv but is just as home on a small screen. The mac mini is a desktop computer made by apple inc.
These offer a wider range of file types that can be played, along with the ability to stream many types of content. Speaker cabinet design styles and techniques audiogurus. Ready to upgrade your mac mini home theater to latest operating system offering from apple. It is one of four desktop computers in the current macintosh lineup, serving as an alternative to the allinone imac, and sits below the performance range imac pro and mac pro the mac mini is apples only consumer desktop computer since 1998 to ship without a display, keyboard, or mouse. Rew is free room acoustics analysis software for measuring and analysing room and loudspeaker responses. Get a free ipod, give aways for free, xbox 360, cellphone, ipod mini or photo, home theater system, stellite dish, barbq, home alarm system, dell laptop computer or laptop, blackberry, one hundred dollar gift cards, plasma screen tvs, kitchen aid pro. The rackmac mini provides a front panel power switch and front panel usb 3. Optimize your display, setup plex as your media center and output your sound via hdmi. I am producing an instructional book which details how to set up a mac mini based home theater. A home theater pc htpc or media center computer is a convergent device that combines. When looking at software i was new for most of the programs so i did a lot of reading.
Apr 23, 2020 if you really need the portability of a mini pc, or your available space is really limited, then mini pcs are available to fit just about any need. Front row allows you to stream media from other systems in a home network as long as it is in an itunes library, though moving data across. The mac mini has always been the perfect form factor for a media center appliance often called a home theater pchtpc. The performance, style, small size, and noiseless operation makes this mac mini just perfect for home theater applications. An unofficial community to discuss apple devices and software, including news, rumors, opinions and analysis pertaining to the company located at one apple park way. I have tried many different home theater solutions without being completely satisfied. Using a mac mini mediacenter is one of the smartest move i have made. With an hdmi cable, you can connect to your hdtv as an extralarge monitor, or even use your mac mini as a dedicated home theater server for streaming your itunes music and movie collection.
I recently sold my jailbroken apple tv because i decided to use my mac mini as a htpc just wasnt using it as a computer, use my laptop all the time. Oct 10, 2011 using a mac mini mediacenter is one of the smartest move i have made. Sonos launches arc premium home theater soundbar with. These are usually smallercased computers, running some sort of media software. Meedios is an open source home theater application based on the closed source meedio. Home theater media center guide apple mac upgrades. So its handy if the odd time i have a dvd i want to watch, i pop it in and watch from the mac mini on the tv. Turning your mac into an htpc home theater pc is a great project. Mac mini audiophiles and purists or home theater mac mini htpc folk may prefer the optical mini toslink option built inside of the mini s dualfunction sound jack.
Stack them close and stack them high for a mac mini server farm. Home sharing in itunes, in conjunction with apple tv and other os x. Loosing a bit of money in the process too, trying out different solutions. Mar 18, 2020 the mac mini has had the same dimensions for the better part of a decade, when the unibody mac mini was introduced in 2010, with its 7. Only i got my mac mini when they still had an optical drive. Mac mini home theater the mac mini is a small form factor computer particularly popular as a home theater solution. Build your own mac mini home theater home facebook. If you really need the portability of a mini pc, or your available space is really limited, then mini pcs are available to fit just about any need. The rackmac mini s design manages airflow through the computers to keep them as cool as ambient air. Part two of how to turn a mac mini into a home theater pc with a few.
Mac mini gets the update of a lifetime, with faster processors, upgradable memory, allflash. Mac mini powers everything from home automation to giant render farms. Mac for the longest time my wife and i have been using a combination of a ps3, apple tv, and a chromecast stick to get our content on our tv. The audio measurement and analysis features of rew help you optimise the acoustics of your listening room, studio or home theater and find the best locations for your speakers, subwoofers and listening position. The handcrafted, quality finish of the newertech nucube turns a mac mini into an elegant, computing work of art. After reading this post on reddit i decided to install the following software. Creating a home theater room home design software for diy. Sep 11, 2010 quick startup guide to your mac mini home theater htpc experience. Nov 06, 2018 mac mini 2018 teaches an old design new tricks. Theater seating and other decor can be found in the bonus catalog.
First of i set up an evernote account so that i could post links from my phoneipadmacbook and get them from my mac mini. It appears that there is an issue with plex and the apple remote where any button presses while in plex continue on to the operating systems default behavior. Part two of how to turn a mac mini into a home theater pc with a few easy steps. The mac mini comes equipped with all of the software included in the os x lion bundle, apples newest operating system released in july 2011. The mac mini has had the same dimensions for the better part of a decade, when the unibody mac mini was introduced in 2010, with its 7. The good news is, once you get set up, you can use your tv as. Mac mini home theater the mac mini is a small form factor computer. Well in all honesty, i dont use a particular software thats designed specifically for home acoustic design because im an engineer. The mac mini home theater blog how to use a mac mini as. The t2 security chip consolidates several controllers into one, and includes a secure enclave coprocessor that provides the foundation for encrypted storage and secure boot capabilities.
If you want to redesign your home or office, weve taken a look at the very best paid and free home design software for mac in 2020 whether you want a straightforward floor planner to map out an office layout or desktop interior design software for your mac to create the home of your dreams, youll find a tool here to fit with the coronavirus covid19 pandemic confining many people. Sonos arc arrives as the companys new flagship premium soundbar bringing the smarts of the smaller beam like voice control, hdmi earc and arc audio return channel, and airplay 2 to a large. Now that you have your mac mini configured and connected to your home theater system for a good visual hookup guide check out roberts mac mini media center post, its time to. This is a mac mini that will appeal to the biggest section of the mac mini market pros who dont need it for everything, but do need it for very specific things, and find its usability and utility more than justifies its price, especially when it comes to the software it can run and the uptime it can keep. Another week another mac clone mac htpc the mac mini htpc.
Most mini pcs run either windows or linux, and a few run chrome os, but the venerable apple mac mini, running macos, also fits neatly into this category as. It is particularly popular as a home theater solution. Its compact and its form factor integrates easily with most home theater setups. Jason snell breaks down the reasons why you should. Everything else i access through the appletv and use home sharing for it to see all the content in itunes on the mac mini.
An htpc system typically has a remote control and the software interface normally has a 10foot 3 m user interface design so that it can be. Yep, everyones talking about using the mac mini as a home media center, and theres a reason why. Quick startup guide to your mac mini home theater htpc experience. The rackmac minis design manages airflow through the computers to keep them as cool as ambient air. Indeed, the updated unibody mac mini is notable as apples first computer to include an hdmi video port to connect to a television or other display.
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