Dear Forum,

having read lots of interesting threads on apple/mac in this forum, I have been thinking about integrating a newly acquired mac mini in my B&O setup. I got the mac mini because I was so fascinated by the way cover-flow works!

Main use would be as a music box (I had the intention of using a touchscreen tft, but this didn't work the way I wanted it, maybe it is just a leopard driver issue, but...).

The question is:

#1:
I can integrate it very easily using a Beosound Ouverture (A.AUX), it will be integrated in my link setup this way (LINK A.AUX). But, you need to use a mouse/tft to change files playing.

#2:
Integration with a Beosound 3000 (N.Music) using Beoport (with BM-Link and IR Eye), so Beo 4 would be able to control the Mac Mini. I suppose only the sound is on the master-link, so it would still be necessary to look at the screen in the main room (playlists might help for "blind" control in the link rooms, but I don't want to use playlists). Since I see no point in choosing the files to play without a screen, Beoport only adds Beo 4 control, right?

#3:
Connecting it to the video master (BV 3-32) does not make much sense to me, I am worried about picture quality and/or poor resolution using a dvi-to-s-video adaptor. On the other hand I could get a rf-modulator and get the picture in the link room, using a BEO 4 to get i-tunes running on the link room (CRT)TVs (always low res. though).

#4:
ipod touch as additional remote/screen in all the link rooms, but another remote on the table....

#5:
i-phone as additional remote/screen in all the link rooms, you alway need to carry a phone with you ;-)

#4 and #5 are surely something for the future, it is #1 - #3 I am thinking about right now.

Anything I missed comparing the choices? Adavantages, disadvantges`

By the way, all my music is on a Buffalo Terastation NAS, not on the mac mini.

Thanks for your input!

Ralf

I can't say what's the best way.

What I can do is tell you our setup and how it performs.

Setup is: BV7, BS3200, Mac Mini, Beoport, Beosound 1, Airport Express; 

The Beoport is audio connected to the BV7. The BV7 is video AND audio master in our living room.

The Beoport is via USB connected to the Mac Mini.

The Mac Mini is via split connector (also) audio connected directly to the BV7. And via DVI hardwired to the BV7. (picture quality super)

With BM-Link (from Anders Odlund) software on the Mac Mini I'm able to  use N.Music and N.Radio.

I use the N.Radio function on a dayly basis. With a "smooth jazz" n.radio station I wake up every day.

The N.Radio and N.Music is due to Beoport also available on my MX4002 tv in the bedroom. 

The Apple Airport Express is connected to the Beosound 1 which is placed in the kitchen outside the RC range of the BV7.  

With the AAE it is now possible to play the same n.music in the livingroom and the kitchen. Now I don't need to turn up the volume to hear the music in the kitchen.

My next purchase will be an iPod Touch. "Soundproof" has one and knows how to handle it. With the iPod Touch I will be able to fully control the Mac Mini.

Hope this helps.... 

Here's my set up:

BS4, MacMini (w/iTunes, Remote Buddy, DVDpedia, BM-Link), BeoPort, BL3000 (in bedroom), Toshiba cheapo 42" LCD (why God why didn't I get 1080p?) with BL4000 hooked directly to the RCA outputs, Time Capsule, AppleTV.

Mini has DVI-HDMI cable going straight to the TV.  I set up an automator function to switch the graphics to overscan since I failed to educate myself a couple years ago about 1080i vs p and what it means to computer signals.  The Mini's USB goes to BeoPort and the sound output is split between the BeoPort and the TV's input.  The BeoPort goes to a Masterlink junction box which is connected to the BS4 and the BL3000.

This way, I can fully control the iTunes music form either room with my Beo4.  Works like a champ.  I have music from the Mini, from internet radio, whatever.  I use to play music from my iMac to the BS4 over an Airport Express and A.Aux but I stopped that since I got the Time Capsule (no headphones out, grrr) and besides the BeoPort option rocks because you can see what's playing and control everything with the BS4.

The Mini also has DVDpedia which I've ripped so far over 100 DVDs to.  I watch this on my TV and control everything with my iPhone over Remote Buddy or just use the bluetooth mouse and keyboard.  If I'm at my iMac or MacBook and want to change settings on the Mini, I use Screen Sharing in Leopard. Very fast and very handy.

I have a Time Capsule which my Mini and my AppleTV are directly cabled to with ethernet, which backs the Mini up as well as my MacBook.  I also have a TB of hard drive space backed up on another TB with Super Duper.  That's where the DVDs and music are kept.

I think that's about it. 

Hi Ralf,

Not sure I can give you a definitive answer, but I can tell you what I've got running and can assure you it works really well!

I have music throughout the house all driven from a MacMini running iTunes and  BM-Link.

STUDY: MacMini with 200Gb USB2 drive for MP3's running iTunes and BM-Link connected to BeoPort with IR Eye, TV MX4000 and BeoPort connects to MasterLink for distribution throughout the house and the audio jack output to Technics Amp with Kef Speakers (only bit of non B&O kit left to replace soon   ).

SITTING ROOM: Avant 32" DVD driving 2 X BS8000 and 2 X BS4000

KITCHEN: MX4002

CONSERVATORY: Beo3000 driving 2 X BS6000

Everything is on the MasterLink so I can listen the n.music or n.radio anywhere and everywhere using the BEO4 remotes that live in each room. I also use my MacBook Air to remotely connect to my MacMini if I want to update playlists or select something new, but I now hear that the next version of iTunes (7.7) will allow me to control everything from my iPhone which will be superb.

 Good luck with you choice and I hope this helps.

Best

Rob 

Thanks for your support! This is really helpful.

I got a mac mini and Beoport (no IR eye connected) so far with a monitor in the living room. With BM-link I got N.Music up and running. Thas was easy...

...BUT:

Having a large collection of music albums (>1.000) and wanting to use coverflow in i-tunes, I could not yet find a solution using the standard apple remote - fast scrolling just does not work as fast as using the mouse wheel!

I tried xhub and cover stream, like the feature of the latter to click on the cover and being able to choose a certain song on the album. But then, xhub is more of an multimedia software, but lacks the coverflow.

I want to find at first a solution to use the apple remote (or any other, just need the codes...) with cover flow fast scrolling in i-tunes or better in a multimedia software. This seems to be impossible! So, choices are a) use the mouse b) get an i-pod touch.

Concerning b): as you describe, you still need remote buddy (or similar) to get an integration...I would like to see coverflow on the i-pod touch and simultanously on the mac-mini - with all the files just (as now) on the NAS. Is i-tunes 7.7 going to have an integration that does not require third party software?

Could an i-pod toch and lintronic solution even replace my Beo 4? This way, I would just use one remote for multimedia (Beo 4 for RADIO/CD), For example: create a buttion like DTV on the i-pod touch to start a macro turning Beovision 3-32 on, turn on Dreambox. Button Music would turn TV on the mac mini connection and start i-tunes in coverflow mode on the i-pod touch (simultan with mac mini i-tunes!).

Thanks for your comments!

Ralf