Comments on: Home Theater PC 2008 – Turning the Mac mini into a Windows Vista Media Center system

By: limpwhizkid

limpwhizkid — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:15:55 +0000

Thanks for the manual about bootcamp, i used it to install bootcamp and vista, and run mediaportal (client) with it.
No i have a silent client in my livingroom and not a bigtower anymore
(my dedicated mediaportal server streams the content over my home network, works even on the wireless N without hickups, you might want to look into that

By: Kids Games

Kids Games — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:18:20 +0000

I never really thought about fusing the two like that. Interesting.

By: social bookmark

social bookmark — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:57:50 +0000

I never thought that Mac mini can do such a thing. What an incredible upgrade and combination! However, it's a pretty long article, though.

By: ClubPenguinCheats

ClubPenguinCheats — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:30:46 +0000

I'm currently an analog TV subscriber via coaxial so I'm not sure that I need HDTV performance at this point. Switching to OS X is attractive but scary, however Boot Camp would allow me to bridge any gaps with my current XP.

By: hapleng

hapleng — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:31:40 +0000

There are interesting . Thank you for your good information
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By: DVD Lables

DVD Lables — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:48:13 +0000

wow its a pretty cool stuff:) Mac mini has ever thing that one great speaker and stereo system needs…

Thank and Regards

By: ???????

??????? — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:15:13 +0000

Thanks for the information. I will tell your friends about , good information on your website.

By: krunker

krunker — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:50:58 +0000

Yes, that's entirely doable too. Use your PS3 as a client interface to content recorded on a Mac. However, you can do this pretty much independent of the system you're connecting to. The PS3 just needs a UPNP device – which means it'll connect to a Mac or a PC serving up content via Windows Media Player. Same difference. On the MCE side, it gets a little complicated b/c of DVR-MS recording format issues but there are workarounds of course AND you have more options in this space.

At the end of the day, I like the consistent look and feel of MCE – whether directly on my MCE box OR via an extender playing on my Xbox 360. Why hide the UI when it's so awesome?

By: krunker

krunker — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:48:40 +0000

Eduardo - thanks for the comments. I think I'm going to have to disagree with you on the Front Row vs Media Center UI thing. This was definitely is a personal taste factor but for me - nothing I've seen beats the Media Center user interface experience. This includes Front Row and includes Apple TV and includes even TiVo's user interface.

For all the knocks that Microsoft gets with their OS's and applications, Windows Media Center has to be one of their best applications and user environments ever.

Now having said that, it's not without it's share of problems of course.

As to why I opted to try the Mac mini as an MCE box? It was more out of curiousity than anything else. The Mac mini is now back to being a Mac as I'm using a dedicated HP Slimline box as my MCE system -serving up content to my Xbox 360 consoles all around the network. Oh yes, I'm also recording two HD streams using HDHomeRun and recording analog tv using a built-in TV tuner and able to serve up tons of music or video content on demand to any location in my home..
Yes.. Front Row can do that.. sorta - assuming you have a third party tuner and application add-ons AND you have Apple TV around AND you have iTunes to sync content etc etc. You get my point. MCE is just a better package all around IMHO.

Just my 2 cents.

By: Eduardo

Eduardo — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:14:19 +0000

Oh, I forgot to mention that this setup is in my bedroom, because I control media with a PlayStation 3 on the living room, in order to play Blu-Ray discs.. PS3 plays all the media I need, MP3s. pictures, and DviX videos from across the networked MAC set up as a UPNP device.

By: Eduardo

Eduardo — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:08:57 +0000

I am quite confused about your options… I mean, why bother with Vista when you have Leopard + Front Row ready for you inside the mini? I have been using my mini for almost 3 years now, in the exact same fashion; I went to the extreme of upgrading the original 1.66 Ghz Core Duo for a 2.16 Ghz Core 2 Duo; my Leopard install went out of the internal 80 GB hard disk to a NewerTech Box with 500 GB; I got another 500 GB FireWire external HD used as a Time Machine backup; the internal, slow 80 GB HD now holds Vista Ultimate, just for the sakes of it. But Vista's Media Center is a loser compared to Front Row. Oh, and there's some external HD enclosures with extra space for short-term storage of media.
Don't forget to buy a copy of Remote Buddy; with it, you are able to handle almost any Mac application from the confines of your couch using the free Apple Remote.
My US$ 0.02.

By: krunker

krunker — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 08:19:13 +0000

Martie,
Unfortunately I'm not at all experienced with DVR capabilities on the Mac. I know of several folks who have used the Elgato Eye TV successfully so I suspect you should have little trouble with your setup. The real question is what interface you'll prefer – the Windows Media Center UI (assuming you were using that), or OS X's FrontRow interface.
As for needing HDTV or not, my thought is.. why not consider getting an HDTV tuner anyhow. The switchover to OTA digital is just a few months away, and the major networks already broadcast in HD.. so you might as well consider switching to an HDTV tuner.. or at least a hybrid tuner (analog/digital).
Also keep in mind there are plenty of other DVR/HTPC interfaces out there. Good luck whatever route you choose!

By: Martie Clemons

Martie Clemons — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 23:35:18 +0000

I've been recording TV programs for years on my PC using the ATI All-In-Wonder 9000 and coax cable connection. But my PC is 4 years old, with good old XP, 512 MB of RAM and a 2.4 GHZ P4 CPU, so I keep think of upgrading to something. I built a nice computer on Dell's web site which is $1300+ and also built a Mac mini on Apple's web site for the same price, with 2 GB of RAM and added the Elgato Eye TV 250 Plus Digital Recorder and wireless mouse/keyboard for about the same price. I'm currently an analog TV subscriber via coaxial so I'm not sure that I need HDTV performance at this point. Switching to OS X is attractive but scary, however Boot Camp would allow me to bridge any gaps with my current XP. I could use advice about these options since I know so little. Please and thanks!

By: Shortbus Racing » Blog Archive » recap

Shortbus Racing » Blog Archive » recap — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:08:43 +0000

[...] Mac Mini into a windows media server (random link only) [...]

By: The weekend was just too short! | Krunker

The weekend was just too short! | Krunker — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:33:40 +0000

[...] box to review (it’s acting as our main Windows Media Center box now – it replaced the Apple box I had created a few months back), a new HP Pavilion notebook to review, and a couple of other odds [...]

By: Brendon Davis » Blog Archive » MAC Mini as a VISTA MCE

Brendon Davis » Blog Archive » MAC Mini as a VISTA MCE — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:12:41 +0000

[...] I’m not sure why, but I find the idea of using MAC hardware to run VISTA media center very ironic. Krunker.com has a good post on how and (less importantly) why it was done. If you’re interested in doing it yourself or just up for a small chuckle, take a look. [...]

By: Brett Schulte

Brett Schulte — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:55:19 +0000

Did you consider running Vista in a “Virtual Machine”?

By: Mac mini for the living room | Krunker

Mac mini for the living room | Krunker — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:30:39 +0000

[...] that over here in his blog. Of course, this is a tad bit different (actually very different) from what I did (which was to turn a Mac mini into a Windows Vista system and run Windows Media Center instead) but [...]

By: mac mini plus vista mc - MyApple.pl

mac mini plus vista mc - MyApple.pl — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:56:12 +0000

[...] rozne oferty i plyty ATX, mac mini spelnia bardzo dobrze kryteria.., znalazlem ciekawy artykul Home Theater PC 2008 – Turning the Mac mini into a Windows Vista Media Center system | Krunker. Co o tym sadzicie, pomijac aspekt czy to bedzie dzialalo na na mac osie na ktorym bym dodatkowo [...]

By: Frank t

Frank t — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:58:04 +0000

If you stick on one APPLE logo on your old MCPC you was better positioned to prove to us your stubborn Apple fan qualities…
You have down one magnificent job putting together the presentation, I very appreciated your editorial work, the logic behind the work is one another subject. Your final product is one kind of dissimilar box collection placed on the media rack, just in cause to sow the possibilities offered by the Apple box to host Intel HW running Windows media software. I have not surprised, I known the Apple fans bed behaviors wen logic and price/performance are the issues.