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Bandit Bill
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Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 5793
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
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 Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 12:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Scarpad wrote: | | Raid wrote: | You realise just how much cheaper it'll be to bring your mini downstairs and plug it in directly, right?  |
Thats what I was working on Doing, but it's somewhat of a pain to put my Mini, Ministack, and 2 500gb drives near my TV, with this I can leave them where they are, and just put in a little unobtrusive box. Plus it has a Component and HDMI Output. |
Exactly... the entire point of this product is convenience. One power cord (no brick). One HDMI cable and your done. By the looks of it, no noisy fans either.
Not everyone has a mini and storage space is definitely an issue on the mini when it comes to video. |
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Scarpad
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Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Posts: 74
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| Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:08 pm Post subject: Re: Thats all I ask... |
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| agruenebaum wrote: | as for my HTPC:
Apple, that´s (almost) all I ask of you....
can it handle DVD content on external HD such as Media Theatre?
what's about IP/Tv?
will it be able to fill my 50" Plasma screen w/o pillar box or overscanned menues (a.K. better than todays MacMini)?
what`s about sat/cable (somewhat like eyTV)?
can it cope with pay TV (common interface such as eyTV) ?
will my spun and children be able to handle it?
Well, I am glad to have my home refurbished including gigabit ethernet cables across the stores - looking forward to the all digital home TV future  |
I'd be willing to bet that as long as it's in a format Itunes can play (Mp4/H264) then you'd be able to stream it. It'll have to reside in Itunes TV/Movies area |
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MacWaffler
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Aug 2006
Posts: 459
Location: Central Ohio
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| Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Doug_Eldred wrote: | | Sparkstack wrote: |
One thing i want to know is what the USB socket is for...
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At a guess - nothing as glamorous as USB disks or EyeTV, it's for a keyboard for configuration. You'd almost have to configure SOME stuff, initially, such as network SSID and password, unless it only works with unsecured networks or somehow bypasses all security, which I doubt. You might also need a keyboard for occasional maintenance - software updates, etc.
Once it's set up, you probably don't need to use anything but the Apple Remote.
Doug |
It's a little cumbersome but you can set up your wireless on Tivo with no keyboard, but yea, it would be nice if you could use keyboard for that stuff. Also note that most recent Tivo units has 1 or 2 USB ports, although there was always an intention of add on wireless devices for Tivo so that was never a mystery.
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| Mac mini 2011 | Apple Thunderbolt Display | Apple keyboard and Magic TrackPad | 2Tb Time Capsule | Apple TV (3) | iPhone 4s |
I have no idea where I'm going, but I'm making great time... |
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Scarpad
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Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Posts: 74
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| Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Bandit Bill wrote: | | Scarpad wrote: | | Raid wrote: | | You realise just how much cheaper it'll be to bring your mini downstairs and plug it in directly, right? |
Thats what I was working on Doing, but it's somewhat of a pain to put my Mini, Ministack, and 2 500gb drives near my TV, with this I can leave them where they are, and just put in a little unobtrusive box. Plus it has a Component and HDMI Output. |
Exactly... the entire point of this product is convenience. One power cord (no brick). One HDMI cable and your done. By the looks of it, no noisy fans either.
Not everyone has a mini and storage space is definitely an issue on the mini when it comes to video. |
This does work on the PC version of Itunes as well does'nt it? Hmm now to decide which to use.... |
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Bandit Bill
Veteran Member
Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 5793
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
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| Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Scarpad wrote: |
This does work on the PC version of Itunes as well does'nt it? Hmm now to decide which to use.... |
Yup it is supposed to work with PC's too.
I recommend that everyone watch the Keynote presentation Steve Jobs gave if you haven't already.
http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/sep_2006/event/index.html
Go to the 50min:50sec mark if you just want the iTV part of the Keynote. |
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imfullofit
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Joined: 03 Feb 2006
Posts: 133
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| Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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I just took a look at that and it looks a lot like media central that I have running on my G4 mini right now. I am sure there will be an upgrade or two for media central in the next 6 months as well. If, as is the case with most people out there, I don't have one of the latest HD TV's what would be the benifit over what I already have. I dont think apple will offer as much content flexibility either. Also if I had a HD TV I would probally want to see what blue ray disks look like on it and certainly wouldn't be purchasing lower quality versions of movies that I can get at a higher quality elsewhere for the same price. I think this all in one solution is a way better idea than the windows media center TV though. |
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Gmac
Junior Member
Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 31
Location: Belgium
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| Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 4:25 am Post subject: |
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| Bandit Bill wrote: | | Scarpad wrote: | | Raid wrote: | | You realise just how much cheaper it'll be to bring your mini downstairs and plug it in directly, right? |
Thats what I was working on Doing, but it's somewhat of a pain to put my Mini, Ministack, and 2 500gb drives near my TV, with this I can leave them where they are, and just put in a little unobtrusive box. Plus it has a Component and HDMI Output. |
Exactly... the entire point of this product is convenience. One power cord (no brick). One HDMI cable and your done. By the looks of it, no noisy fans either.
Not everyone has a mini and storage space is definitely an issue on the mini when it comes to video. |
and what do you get on the screen..only the new soft (music and vidéo) instead of the whole content of a mini... |
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MacWaffler
Senior Member
Joined: 16 Aug 2006
Posts: 459
Location: Central Ohio
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| Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 5:51 am Post subject: |
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| Gmac wrote: | | and what do you get on the screen..only the new soft (music and vidéo) instead of the whole content of a mini... |
I don't really want to navigate the whole OS from my couch, a stripped down, remote friendly interface does the trick just fine.
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| Mac mini 2011 | Apple Thunderbolt Display | Apple keyboard and Magic TrackPad | 2Tb Time Capsule | Apple TV (3) | iPhone 4s |
I have no idea where I'm going, but I'm making great time... |
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Gmac
Junior Member
Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 31
Location: Belgium
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| Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 6:09 am Post subject: |
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| MacWaffler wrote: | | Gmac wrote: | | and what do you get on the screen..only the new soft (music and vidéo) instead of the whole content of a mini... |
I don't really want to navigate the whole OS from my couch, a stripped down, remote friendly interface does the trick just fine. |
indeed but internet could be great anyway
and if you want both will it be possible to get the OS screen and the new soft on the same tv? for those having already a mac mini in the living room how do they connect their ITV..will it be possible to use one in the vga and the other one in the hdmi or will the mac mini transfer its content to the screen by the itv connected with the usb? |
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qrayg
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Joined: 12 Jun 2006
Posts: 62
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 12:28 pm Post subject: |
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Why is this so hard for people to understand? ALL IT DOES IS STREAM MEDIA FROM YOUR COMPUTER. PERIOD.
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Gmac
Junior Member
Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 31
Location: Belgium
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| Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:35 pm Post subject: |
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| qrayg wrote: | | Why is this so hard for people to understand? ALL IT DOES IS STREAM MEDIA FROM YOUR COMPUTER. PERIOD. |
it's what I think also..but it seems very disappointing..if it's like that the only option left is plugging the mini in the vga and the itv in the hdmi...what a mess only to have RCA outputs for a better sound connection with you hifi (about video we don't know yet if ther is or no any improvement)
on the other hand, if you use only an itv in your living room you have a software far less convenient than itunes on your big screen thats all..great.
anyway pc users will maybe prefer to spend 300$ than 600 and keep only windows at home |
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SOCOMRAIDER
Veteran Member
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
Posts: 2869
Location: Minneapolis
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| Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Gmac wrote: | | it's what I think also..but it seems very disappointing..if it's like that the only option left is plugging the mini in the vga and the itv in the hdmi...what a mess only to have RCA outputs for a better sound connection with you hifi (about video we don't know yet if ther is or no any improvement) |
what do you mean by "mini in the vga and the itv in the hdmi"?? 
The iTV also has a digital optical output..
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diddy
Member
Joined: 06 Jul 2006
Posts: 81
Location: Minnesota
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| Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I have a dumb question, though. Is my G4 mini with AirPort Express built-in going to support the new higher-speed 802.11n standard? |
802.11n still hasnt been standardized by any of the organizations out there (most of them rejected the given proposals). That being said, I think it would be just fine. |
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Gmac
Junior Member
Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 31
Location: Belgium
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| Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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| SOCOMRAIDER wrote: | | Gmac wrote: | | it's what I think also..but it seems very disappointing..if it's like that the only option left is plugging the mini in the vga and the itv in the hdmi...what a mess only to have RCA outputs for a better sound connection with you hifi (about video we don't know yet if ther is or no any improvement) |
what do you mean by "mini in the vga and the itv in the hdmi"??
The iTV also has a digital optical output.. |
well if the itv is only able to stream the audio and the video content and offer only a front-row like software to play with that content, you got to plug your mac mini directly in the screen to still be able surfing the net or even see itunes in your living room
the itv in the hdmi and the mini in the vga..if you unplug the mini, you will only get its audio and video files but nothing else... |
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SOCOMRAIDER
Veteran Member
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
Posts: 2869
Location: Minneapolis
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| Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Gmac wrote: | well if the itv is only able to stream the audio and the video content and offer only a front-row like software to play with that content, you got to plug your mac mini directly in the screen to still be able surfing the net or even see itunes in your living room
the itv in the hdmi and the mini in the vga..if you unplug the mini, you will only get its audio and video files but nothing else... |
The main reasoning behind iTV is to share what you have on your computer. If you are going to plug in your Mini to the TV, then why would you need an iTV??? Since you can control everything right there and surf your internet.
The iTV is to let your computer sit somewhere else, let someone else use it, while you watch your TV using iTV.
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