 J E F FWhatta Ya Think About Dat?Premium
join:2004-04-01
Kitchener, ON
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| Apple TV or Mac Mini? PLUS READ QUESTION AT END!! Starting my debate. Should I just chomp down and buy a refurb mac mini from the Apple Store? Or settle for the cheap Apple TV.
I watch a lot of movies, btw. I have kids, ya know. I have two media players, the LG doesn't play friendly with most formats, *.avi, for example...and the Rio Diamond isn't friendly to navigate (since it uses an explorer type function) + it doesn't also sync properly. I also have a good size music library..etc. I'm in the thinking with the mac mini the large hard drive would store all movies, download proper codec, etc, and you have seamless movie watching no matter what format, plus Netflix, plus Hulu (if i unblock me) ...
$500 is a bit pricy...but, to have a full computer on the TV would be sweet...
SOOOOOOO QUESTION TWO!
I am thinking of upgrading my TV unit. The new ones are incredibly thin compared to the think (but chunky) one I have now. (the new ones I saw were slightly fatter than my iPhone)
So, with TV, what is better to be used as a monitor for the Mac Mini? LCD? LED LCD? Plasma? I'm thinking 42" to 50" -->all are compatible with the aforementioned technologies.
I have a projector done stairs. It will be a while before that is upgraded...so when that happens, the mini will find its new home...(if I get the mini)
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If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. - Albert Einstein |
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 ctgreybeardOld dogs can learn new tricksPremium
join:2001-11-13
Bethel, CT | Wait ...
At least until next week.
At WWDC there will be announcements but we don't know what they will actually be.
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Old dogs can learn new tricks! |
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DaemonPremium
join:2003-06-29
San Francisco, CA Reviews:
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| reply to J E F F
I found the only reasonable solution was both.
The Apple TV has the great interface for watching TV, the mac mini runs lion server as a RADIUS/DNS/DHCP server for the house, stores my media library, does all the transcoding I need, and is a spare computer if someone needs one.
With just the ATV, you need a place to store all of your files. With just the mini you are left trying to run OS X off a TV (or messing with the third party media skins, something I didn't want to do)
If you are already buying the mac mini, $99 for the ATV isn't a huge amount more. Going the other direction is a huge extra expense though.
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-Ryan
I use Linux, OS X, iOS and Windows. Let the OS wars die. |
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 SnakeoilIgnore Button. The coward's feature.Premium
join:2000-08-05
Mentor, OH
kudos:1 | +1 |
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 PhoenixDown-- Wants FIOSPremium
join:2003-06-08
Fresh Meadows, NY
kudos:1 | reply to J E F F
Another pro for going the mp4 (m4a) route with an apple tv is that for $99 you can pop another unit anywhere you need |
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DaemonPremium
join:2003-06-29
San Francisco, CA Reviews:
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| reply to J E F F
Going off of what ctgreybeard said, Apple is apparently going to start an App store for the Apple TV at WWDC. That means hulu, watchespn, etc, all through the apple TV.
One less reason to connect a mac mini to a TV.
What I wish Apple would do is run an iTunes daemon on Airport Extreme routers, so I could connect my media library to them and stream it to the Apple TV. Would eliminate the main reason I bought the mini (and my mac book air is too small to hold all the media library)
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-Ryan
I use Linux, OS X, iOS and Windows. Let the OS wars die. |
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RiamenPremium
join:2002-11-04
Calgary | reply to J E F F
I use both. I have a Mac mini connected to a Drobo storage device. On the mini I've installed Plex Media Server. I then have a couple jailbroken Apple TVs with the Plex client. Plex transcodes on the fly and allows me to stream any format video to the Apple TV. Plus I get artwork and movie & TV show descriptions.
I'm hoping an Apple TV App Store comes true. I would like to have Plex without resorting to jailbreaking. |
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 not quite rightI'm not cool enough to be a Mac person
join:2001-06-23
Puyallup, WA
kudos:1 | reply to J E F F
I use both ... plus I throw in a Windows Home Server running iTunes as service full time for the music & movie distribution.
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"Oh Look A Dead Horse ... Let's Beat It To Death!" |
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J E F FWhatta Ya Think About Dat?Premium
join:2004-04-01
Kitchener, ON
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| reply to Riamen
Sounds like a lot of work. The LG should be able to do Plex and both Macbooks have plex, but they refuse to speak to each other... 
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If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. - Albert Einstein |
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 darciliciousCyber LibrarianPremium
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
kudos:2
·Frontier FiOS
| said by J E F F:but they refuse to speak to each other...
Who isn't talking to whom exactly??
If Plex is in the mix, the only talking going on should be the Plex clients (LG, each Mac, etc) talking to the Plex server installed a computer... |
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 MikePremium,Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA
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| reply to J E F F
Wait until the 11th to make any decision.
An Apple TV however is a really good Netflix / iTunes home sharing unit.
Let's see what other applications come out on it.
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"If something about the human body disgusts you, complain to the manufacturer" - Lenny Bruce
What this country needs is a good five dollar plasma weapon. |
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RiamenPremium
join:2002-11-04
Calgary | reply to J E F F
said by J E F F:Sounds like a lot of work. The LG should be able to do Plex and both Macbooks have plex, but they refuse to speak to each other... The jailbreak is relatively easy but currently limited to 2nd generation devices. Installing the Plex client requires using ssh and the command line. Once setup though it has been solid.
You may want to check the client and server versions of Plex if they're not talking. |
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J E F FWhatta Ya Think About Dat?Premium
join:2004-04-01
Kitchener, ON
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| reply to darcilicious
The LG sees the MacBook, MacBook won't let it connect. Haven't really sat down and tried to figure out why. The LG itself has a poor menu and since everything is done by remote, entering and re-entering password is a PITA.
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If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. - Albert Einstein |
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J E F FWhatta Ya Think About Dat?Premium
join:2004-04-01
Kitchener, ON
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| reply to Mike
said by Mike:Wait until the 11th to make any decision.
An Apple TV however is a really good Netflix / iTunes home sharing unit.
Let's see what other applications come out on it.
Will do...
IF Apple TV could play other formats (like .avi) without having to transcode, that would be good.
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If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. - Albert Einstein |
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 The Dv8orJust call me Dong Suck Oh, M.D.Premium
join:2001-08-09
Denver, CO | said by J E F F:said by Mike:Wait until the 11th to make any decision.
An Apple TV however is a really good Netflix / iTunes home sharing unit.
Let's see what other applications come out on it.
Will do... IF Apple TV could play other formats (like .avi) without having to transcode, that would be good. Tell me about it. I had to convert 300 gigs of movies. Took quite awhile. However, the device kicks ass.
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You're so vain... I bet you think this post is about you. |
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 LazManPremium
join:2003-03-26
canada | reply to J E F F
I can't help with the TV part... I've got a couple of LG LCD's - haven't been in the market for a new one in a couple of years, so I'm not sure the state of LED/OLED/LCD anymore.
I do have an ATV - love it... Does Netflix very well, and I run a DLink NAS on my network, that holds and serves my iTunes content, which the Apple TV sees no problem...
I've ripped all my DVD's into the library, so they are easily accessed and played. Very smooth, to the point I'm considering a second Apple TV for the basement TV one of these days... That I can use my iPhone as a remote on the ATV is just gravy - but it is some very tasty gravy! 
I, too, came from the LG - the "SmartTV" box sounded great, but was a disappointment in the end.
I wouldn't hesitate on an Apple TV myself - going all the way to a full Mac, well, that's a big comittment on several levels, I wasn't prepared to go that far, myself. |
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MikePremium,Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA
kudos:1 | reply to The Dv8or
Yeah I have a mp4 I want to watch on my iPad that is from a conference. I can only stream it and not store it. |
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 djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
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·VOIPo
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| reply to J E F F
I have a mini attached to my TV and wouldn't trade it for anything. I use it for video games (emulators), movies, and all sorts of stuff. I just wish it had the ability to be an AirPlay client.
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AT&T U-Hearse - RIP Unlimited Internet 1995-2011
Rethink Billable.
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MikePremium,Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA
kudos:1 | »support.apple.com/kb/HT5209 |
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yabos
join:2003-02-16
London, ON | reply to The Dv8or
said by The Dv8or:Tell me about it. I had to convert 300 gigs of movies. Took quite awhile. However, the device kicks ass.
That's why I ended up getting the Western Digital Live Streaming Player. Plays literally every format you'd ever want, except for FairPlay DRM music and videos(if that's important to anyone). It handles network shares, although Lion's SMB implementation is completely incompatible so it doesn't work.
It's a little less refined than the Apple TV but it's quite good. |
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