Hi,

I am about to move from Windows to Mac in one big jump. My plan is to get an iMac as my main computer and to get a Mac mini as a media centre.

The main thing I am not sure about is connecting the Mac mini to my Avant. Most of the other threads I've scanned through refer to connecting the Mac mini to a BV7. Is there anything I need to know about using an Avant instead?

My intention is to hide the Mac mini behind the TV and manage everything from the iMac. I know that I can use the screen sharing feature but would this be too demanding on the Mac mini if my wife was using it to watch a movie while I'm trying to access it remotely from another room? Or there a better way?

Thanks for your thoughts
Michael

you can get an s-video adaptor for the mac , and use that at the top rear , where the buttons are

since the res is nowhere near that of an hdtv , s-video should be more than good enough

i had a mini linked up to a sony crt and it looked ok

personally , i'd think about using an lcd panel or hdtv as a monitor as the res ( 640 x 480 or thereabouts ) just won't be much use in the real world , certainly not for web browsing or using os-x efficiently 

I concur, having connected a PC to my Avant I have found that it is really good for watching films (I am not really all that fussed about HD) but it is impossible to read the icons on the desktop unless you are sitting with your nose touching the screen (not that I have tried this). Adjusting the screen resoloution and changing the accessibility  options does not really help to be honest. However, as I think you mentioned watching films perhaps this all won't really matter.

Yes, my sole intention is to watch films.

My thoughts are to use the iMac to set up the Mac mini remotely (and to copy films etc on an ongoing basis). After reading other threads, I'm planning to use an iPod Touch as the remote so I wouldn't even need to use the Avant as a monitor when selecting a film.

Michael

I'd say go for it. You can set up the MacMini to access the media directly from your iMac if you wish, or the other way round. All that's required is that both machines are running a user account with exactly the same name...

Even though you plan to use the iPod Touch as a remote, the new software update for the Avant will enable it to control a mac mini via your B&O remote. I am doing this and it works very well. You can rip the movies either to the mac mini or access them remotely if they are on your iMac and select and control playback via Front Row with your Beo 4 or Beo 5.