Apple TV v MacMini as home theater

gdconwaygdconway
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Ignoring costs for a moment, can anyone tell me why I'd rather have an AppleTV as opposed to a Mac Mini attached to a new plasma/LCD?



I've been planning on purchasing a Mini for a while to add to a plasma. (All my macs are currently in my office, none at home and no internet at home.) Now I'm having second thoughts and considering a new iMac for the home and an AppleTV. Price considerations aside, are there technical benefits to having one over the other? One of my concerns is that if I went with the appleTV/iMac, the range/speed might not be sufficient. My office is on the second floor, not directly above the room with the plasma. Lots of thick hardwood and plaster inbetween.



Also, if I can hook a hard drive to a new Airport Extreme, do I even need a mac at home? Would hard drive plus airport extreme plus appletv get the job done as well?



Again, please ignore the cost considerations (not that I will). I'm leaning towards the Mini but am waiting for an update.



And finally, I don't really need an internet connection to use appleTV do I? I mean, I understand I need it if I want to download, but not for music/movies I already have, right?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    almalm Posts: 111member
    Right now you would need internet for Apple TV only if you want watch trailers /previews and perform software updates.
  • Reply 2 of 8
    dfilerdfiler Posts: 3,420member
    You might also need a net connection to authorize the AppleTV to play fairplay tracks. Anyone know for sure?



    I highly recommend the AppleTV if you intend to use it solely as a networked media player. If you're interested in functionality other than that, the mini might be preferable. The main selling point for me is the cost and variety of AV outputs.
  • Reply 3 of 8
    gordygordy Posts: 1,004member
    The authorization is granted on the host computer...just like with iPod. No net connection is required.
  • Reply 4 of 8
    dfilerdfiler Posts: 3,420member
    Ah, that's the key. Thanks for the clarification.



    It's authorized like an iPod, not like a computer. Authorizing/Deauthorizing a computer requires a connection. Authorizing an iPod or AppleTV does not require a net connection.
  • Reply 5 of 8
    filburtfilburt Posts: 398member
    I would wait and get the next generation Mac mini. We don't yet know when it will arrive (an update is long overdue), but it will be faster (Core 2 Duo and 802.11n at least) and hopefully have few additional surprises (e.g., HDMI, larger hard disk drive, 1 GB RAM, Intel GMA 3000/X3000 GPU). What Mac mini offers over Apple TV are so numerous, one can easily justify the premium if he/she has the money for it. Front Row will give you most of the Apple TV experience, especially when it is updated on 10.5 -- plus it has DVD player. And Mac mini has other cool stuff well suited for your living room such as Dashboard.



    Just about the only down sides (over Apple TV) are fewer video output types (DVI-to-HDMI and VGA-to-component cables are widely available, however), missing 802.11n (the next revision should have it), and ease of configuration (not that Mac OS X is that hard to configure).
  • Reply 6 of 8
    joe_the_dragonjoe_the_dragon Posts: 931member
    Why put the Intel GMA in when the apple tv has a video card with 64mb of it's own ram.
  • Reply 7 of 8
    filburtfilburt Posts: 398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Joe_the_dragon View Post


    Why put the Intel GMA in when the apple tv has a video card with 64mb of it's own ram.



    Because Intel GMA X3000 is better than NVIDIA GeForce 7300... assuming new Mac mini gets it.
  • Reply 8 of 8
    galleygalley Posts: 971member
    I think I will pick up an tv for the living room right now. When the new minis are released, I will put that in the living room and move the tv to the bedroom.
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