Apple Hardware - all the way!

BKCH · 2007-06-26, 10:27

Hi guys,

So I've had a bunch of HTPCs thus far from Shuttle's to home built but my current setup is soooooo sweet I had to post.

I've got a server tunning TV Server and then a Mac Mini next to each of my 3 tvs and an iMac 24" as my bedroom TV.

The apple hardware is awesome. The Mac mini's are silent - you can't hear them even in the dead of night.

Just had to post / boast

piranha · 2007-06-26, 10:39

The only thing I have to do is agree with this post.
Extemely happy with my MiniMac and wouldn't swap it for any other HTPC HW for that price

Connected to Drobo array gives a nice view of a miniaturized HTPC solution.

Bagal · 2007-06-26, 11:33

Guys your killing us!

A picture paints a thousand words and all that....

piranha · 2007-06-26, 13:47

When I come from work, I'll shoot some picture and attach it here.

piranha · 2007-06-26, 17:15

Ok here you go.

Those are the shots of my system.

Not much stuff visible, and I want to stay it this way

This is the keyboard I use, and as a remote of course MCE remote. The Mac remote doesn't have that many keys

Drobo is my house-wide storage device shared thru network across all devices at home. Currently it has 3 bays filled with 1 TB drives.

All above system is noiseless and barely visible. For TV I use DVB-T hybrid hauppage usb card.

Bagal · 2007-06-26, 17:27

Very nice!

I'm in the mood to upgrade my living room media center, can't decide whether to go for a mac mini or something a bit beefier, I've spent a lot of time and money trying to quieten the existing system, it's ok but it could be better.

jcee · 2007-07-27, 12:12

What I did not understand:

Are you guys running Mediaportal on these macminis or something else like EyeTV etc..?!

A colleague recently gave up on MP and TVcentral as he believed the variaty of hardware and software (drivers, patches) and the unlimited number of combinations gives lots of trouble and takes too much work getting stable..

So he decided to go for a macmini and run eyetv.
He now is really satisfied. (Ok, not that much feature like MP) but it runns like a charm and had no crash for weeks now...

piranha · 2007-07-27, 14:12

As you see on the screenshot I am running regular MediaPortal.
I use the Apple's bootcamp to install Windows XP on minimac, and since then it becomes regular PC machine

sgtsloth · 2007-08-08, 20:54

@piranha

Very cool! How does the hauppage usb card work for you? Great I assume

piranha · 2007-08-08, 21:06

Went thru some different cards, and had ups and downs.
With this particular Happage, I also had a problem. The first card was simply defective and had to replace it with a new one.
Since then no issues whatsoever.
FYI there are new models of MiniMacs coming out, they got processor upgrade. So the fastest (out of the box of course) is Core 2 Duo 2 GHz. If you interested in hacking it, you can always play with processor upgrade by yourself

2007-06-26, 10:27	#1 (permalink)
BKCH MP Donator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sydney Posts: 197 Thanks: 3 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts Country:	Apple Hardware - all the way! Hi guys, So I've had a bunch of HTPCs thus far from Shuttle's to home built but my current setup is soooooo sweet I had to post. I've got a server tunning TV Server and then a Mac Mini next to each of my 3 tvs and an iMac 24" as my bedroom TV. The apple hardware is awesome. The Mac mini's are silent - you can't hear them even in the dead of night. Just had to post / boast

2007-06-26, 10:39	#2 (permalink)
piranha MP Donator Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 326 Thanks: 15 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts My System	The only thing I have to do is agree with this post. Extemely happy with my MiniMac and wouldn't swap it for any other HTPC HW for that price Connected to Drobo array gives a nice view of a miniaturized HTPC solution. __________________ After all, computers crash, people die, relationships fall apart. The best we can do is breath and reboot.

2007-06-26, 13:47	#4 (permalink)
piranha MP Donator Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 326 Thanks: 15 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts My System	When I come from work, I'll shoot some picture and attach it here. __________________ After all, computers crash, people die, relationships fall apart. The best we can do is breath and reboot.

2007-06-26, 17:15	#5 (permalink)
piranha MP Donator Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 326 Thanks: 15 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts My System	Ok here you go. Those are the shots of my system. Not much stuff visible, and I want to stay it this way This is the keyboard I use, and as a remote of course MCE remote. The Mac remote doesn't have that many keys Drobo is my house-wide storage device shared thru network across all devices at home. Currently it has 3 bays filled with 1 TB drives. All above system is noiseless and barely visible. For TV I use DVB-T hybrid hauppage usb card. Attached Thumbnails __________________ After all, computers crash, people die, relationships fall apart. The best we can do is breath and reboot.

2007-07-27, 12:12	#7 (permalink)
jcee Portal Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 281 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	What I did not understand: Are you guys running Mediaportal on these macminis or something else like EyeTV etc..?! A colleague recently gave up on MP and TVcentral as he believed the variaty of hardware and software (drivers, patches) and the unlimited number of combinations gives lots of trouble and takes too much work getting stable.. So he decided to go for a macmini and run eyetv. He now is really satisfied. (Ok, not that much feature like MP) but it runns like a charm and had no crash for weeks now... __________________ 1. HTPC: FloppyDTV DVB-C + CAM/Alphacrypte, Athlon 3000+, 1GB, 160GB HDD Spinpoint, Geforce 7600GS (passive cooled), XP SP2, Pioneer PDP RXE 436, Girder RC, Thermal Balancer 2. Mac Mini + Elgato EyeTV

2007-06-26, 11:33	#3 (permalink)
Bagal MP Donator Join Date: Dec 2006 Age: 30 Posts: 111 Thanks: 6 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts Country:	Guys your killing us! A picture paints a thousand words and all that....

2007-06-26, 17:27	#6 (permalink)
Bagal MP Donator Join Date: Dec 2006 Age: 30 Posts: 111 Thanks: 6 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts Country:	Very nice! I'm in the mood to upgrade my living room media center, can't decide whether to go for a mac mini or something a bit beefier, I've spent a lot of time and money trying to quieten the existing system, it's ok but it could be better.

2007-07-27, 14:12	#8 (permalink)
piranha MP Donator Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 326 Thanks: 15 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts My System	As you see on the screenshot I am running regular MediaPortal. I use the Apple's bootcamp to install Windows XP on minimac, and since then it becomes regular PC machine __________________ After all, computers crash, people die, relationships fall apart. The best we can do is breath and reboot.

2007-08-08, 20:54	#9 (permalink)
sgtsloth Portal Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 18 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	@piranha Very cool! How does the hauppage usb card work for you? Great I assume __________________ Build A DVR.com

2007-08-08, 21:06	#10 (permalink)
piranha MP Donator Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 326 Thanks: 15 Thanked 8 Times in 8 Posts My System	Went thru some different cards, and had ups and downs. With this particular Happage, I also had a problem. The first card was simply defective and had to replace it with a new one. Since then no issues whatsoever. FYI there are new models of MiniMacs coming out, they got processor upgrade. So the fastest (out of the box of course) is Core 2 Duo 2 GHz. If you interested in hacking it, you can always play with processor upgrade by yourself __________________ After all, computers crash, people die, relationships fall apart. The best we can do is breath and reboot.

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