Future Mac mini setup

[FXB]

As time goes by I realize that most of my computing time has been data consumption rather then data production which is allot more resource intensive and requires better components. So I've decided to try and sell my PC I've also decided OS X more user friendly.

here is what I want to do:

1. Use a mac mini that I can use as a HTPC and a computer. I understand that streaming and viewing HD content is not all that resource intensive nor is OS X. I will still use this computer as a computer it will not souly act as a HTPC.
I'm essentially going to make this.

2.I also want to get away from my cable provider and only view television shows online though various services.

Here are my concerns.

1. If I do get a mac mini I would have use external HDD to hold all my media. How can I set Front Row to view the media on those HDD as it natively only sees the folders directly on the mac.

2. If I do use external HDD can I back those up to time capsule on another external drive?

3. The mac mini only offers two audio jacks how would I connect a 5 speaker surround sound system?

4.Ideally I want to be able to view my desktop screen on my tv in my living room and use the TV as an additional display for the mac mini.

5. What could I do so that I can work on the mac mini in my office and have someone else watch a movie from Front Row in the living room?

6. What would be a good software to use to view all my media? I've tried but haven't really liked Front Row and Boxee. Ideally I want lots of file support and the ability start a folder (music,video,photos) as a playlist in loop and I want to be able to start the loop from anywhere in the order.

7. Would streaming from an external HDD affect my video? I would probably stream via FW800.

I will add other concerns to this post as they arise. Thanks for your help.


The setup so far.

I will get the base model mac mini

I will use the Drobo to hold all my media, backup the mini and my media.

To connect my surround system I will get Creative 5.1 sound blaster

For software I will use
Plex for the media center
time machine for backup
time tamer for backup management

 

[applemao]

I can only answer question 2, and question 3:

For 2, Yes, Time Capsule can back up anything.

And for 3, here ya go: 5.1 TIME BABY

Hopefully some other people who are much smarter than me can answer your other inquiries!

-AM

 

[tlarkin]

1. If I do get a mac mini I would have use external HDD to hold all my media. How can I set Front Row to view the media on those HDD as it natively only sees the folders directly on the mac.

OS X uses Unix you can use things like a symbolic link to point to an external volume and Front Row should work with this.

2. if I do use external HDD can I back those up to time capsule on another external drive?

If you are going to use TM/TC I would recommend you use a specific drive for it, and I would have more than one back up just in case. You can use any local, external, or network drive for this, as long as it connects over the supported protocols and file systems.

3. The mac mini only offers two audio jacks how would I connect a 5 speaker surround sound system?

HDMI includes 7.1 audio in the connection. You would use HDMI. You are probably going to need a more up to date receiver.

4.Ideally I want to be able to view my desktop screen on my tv in my living room and use the TV as an additional display for the mac mini.

You can use your HDTV as a monitor.

5. what could I do so that I can work on the mac mini in my office and have someone else watch a movie from Front Row in the living room?

You could set up multiple displays if the Mac Mini is hooked to more than one display. You would extend the display instead of mirroring it and on the extended to the TV you would drag your video there.

 

[FXB]

I can only answer question 2, and question 3:

For 2, Yes, Time Capsule can back up anything.

And for 3, here ya go: 5.1 TIME BABY

Hopefully some other people who are much smarter than me can answer your other inquiries!

-AM

Great thanks that sound card looks great. It should do the trick.

 

[FXB]

OS X uses Unix you can use things like a symbolic link to point to an external volume and Front Row should work with this.

How would I do this?

If you are going to use TM/TC I would recommend you use a specific drive for it, and I would have more than one back up just in case. You can use any local, external, or network drive for this, as long as it connects over the supported protocols and file systems.

Here's what I had in mind for backing up. I would get a Drobo and put two 2tb drives in it. with time tamer, I would limit the time machine backup of the mini to about 700 gb. All my media would be stored on the drobo and backed up reduntantly on the drobo.

HDMI includes 7.1 audio in the connection. You would use HDMI. You are probably going to need a more up to date receiver.

I will look into Applemao's solution for this seems less expensive.

You can use your HDTV as a monitor.

You could set up multiple displays if the Mac Mini is hooked to more than one display. You would extend the display instead of mirroring it and on the extended to the TV you would drag your video there.

How would I do this over the air? I don't want to buy an 80" HDMI cable.

 

[tlarkin]

80 foot HDMI cable? There is no such thing as a wireless video connection to my knowledge.

Here is my setup at home, which you could mimic. I have a Linux HTPC box hooked up to my receiver via HDMI which gives 1080P video and 7.1 audio. My Macbook pro has HDMI out as well. So, if I stream something off the laptop I just hook it up via HDMI.

The mac mini will have an optical out as well. Really, you are going to be hard pressed to have a HTPC and a home computer in one and allow multiple users use it at the same time.

 

[FXB]

80 foot HDMI cable? There is no such thing as a wireless video connection to my knowledge.

I think intel Widi can do it

Really, you are going to be hard pressed to have a HTPC and a home computer in one and allow multiple users use it at the same time.

Do you know of a way to do it?

 

[tlarkin]

I know of a way using more than one display and setting it to extended mode but I cannot say how well that will work for you. Again, I highly doubt you can run a wireless video connection to another monitor.

 

[FXB]

I know of a way using more than one display and setting it to extended mode but I cannot say how well that will work for you. Again, I highly doubt you can run a wireless video connection to another monitor.

Could I have the mac mini in the living use it there and connect to it via my MBP?

then I could just run my MBP in clamshell. on my monitor in my room.

this would mean Ideally I need 2 keyboards, trackpad and apple remote.

 

[FXB]

I haven't receive any feedback on these concerns.

1. Use a mac mini that I can use as a HTPC and a computer. I understand that streaming and viewing HD content is not all that resource intensive nor is OS X. I will still use this computer as a computer it will not souly act as a HTPC.
I'm essentially going to make this.

2.I also want to get away from my cable provider and only view television shows online though various services.

4.Ideally I want to be able to view my desktop screen on my tv in my living room and use the TV as an additional display for the mac mini.

5. What could I do so that I can work on the mac mini in my office and have someone else watch a movie from Front Row in the living room?


7. Would streaming from an external HDD affect my video? I would probably stream via FW800.

 

[tlarkin]

1 - yes, streaming media and playing media takes very little power

2 - This isn't really a question, but yes OS X supports both flash and silver light which are the two main technologies used to deliver streaming content

4 - you cannot do this via wireless. You can do it via remote desktop or screen sharing but you will be manipulating the same screen the other user is trying to watch. If you also have a Macbook pro, why even use the Mini other than for a HTPC?

5 - not unless you have more than one display set up, see #4

7 - no streaming from any drive, even a network drive is fine.

 

[FXB]

2 - This isn't really a question, but yes OS X supports both flash and silver light which are the two main technologies used to deliver streaming content

I'm looking more for a solution in the line of online TV that doesn't require subscription.

4 - you cannot do this via wireless. You can do it via remote desktop or screen sharing but you will be manipulating the same screen the other user is trying to watch. If you also have a Macbook pro, why even use the Mini other than for a HTPC?

I decided I'd use my macbook pro as main rig and the mac mini as HTPC Torrent client and what not. I want to be able to save everything I do on my macbook the the mini over the air.

 

[FXB]

So The iMac is a better deal.

but I could stream everything from an iMac to my xbox or wait for the new mac mini and hopefully see a price drop.

hmmm. But that means I'm buying to new machines $$$$

 

[FXB]

For 3, here ya go: 5.1 TIME BABY

-AM

The USB sound card is not mac capable