Do you prefer Apple TV or Mac mini ?

There are good examples / opinions concerning this two products ? Which shoud i buy ?

 

Flappo posted the best review I've read to date of the AppleTV. It confirmed my opinion that I'll be getting a MacMini, since I can then also play media discs.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/05/24/some_time_spent_with_apple_tv____an_in_depth_review.html

Soundproof,

I'm surrended to the Mac Mini; please do see this review:

http://theappleblog.com/2007/01/16/apple-tv-vs-mac-mini-which-one-is-right-for-you/

HTH. 

Though to be fair to the AppleTV. It's an inexpensively priced unit intended to tie all your harddisk stored AV sources together through wireless, and the intention is that one would get an AppleTV for each flatscreen. The AppleTVs can then "talk" with the Mac Mini or other storage devices (computers, NADs, etc).

It's just that I also want the ability to play CDs and DVDs - and the Mac Mini gives me that. 

The only reason not to use a mini mac in my opinion is if you are on a budget or if you want the itunes synchronization feature.

One more thing, I wouldn't be surprised if we see an upgraded Mac Mini over the next 12 month that becomes more of a media center, i.e. it runs without keyboard and can be fed from an itunes library just like ITV or Ipod.

jk1002:

One more thing, I wouldn't be surprised if we see an upgraded Mac Mini over the next 12 month that becomes more of a media center, i.e. it runs without keyboard and can be fed from an itunes library just like ITV or Ipod.

Yes, and very likely with HDMI out. 

jk1002:

One more thing, I wouldn't be surprised if we see an upgraded Mac Mini over the next 12 month that becomes more of a media center, i.e. it runs without keyboard and can be fed from an itunes library just like ITV or Ipod.

Mac Mini To Be Discontinued?

I saw that one. It might be they discontinue the mini as we know it but do some sort of upgrade to make it more media center like ... that they leave that tiny computer segment open entirely I would not think ......

jk1002:

I saw that one. It might be they discontinue the mini as we know it but do some sort of upgrade to make it more media center like ... that they leave that tiny computer segment open entirely I would not think ......

It really depends on where they are going with the Macs - particularly the portable ones. I am using a MacBook Pro as a media center now, and it does all I need. I've seen rumours they'll be offering a Media Center version of the Mini, based on the Intel media center chip...

But then rumours are cheap!
 

Geez. I'd better wait a while and see what happens.

Still, the Mac mini has what it takes to be in the living room connected to my BV7-40; i also have a Lacie 1TB external, so it would be just a perfect match.

Thinking ... 

I'll be really sorry to see the mini go.  I had planned to buy one as a bedroom media centre combined with the BC6-26, but not sure what to do now as I'm about 12 months away from doing that after we move house!!

I have an Intel Mac Mini acting as a media center with my BV6-26, and I'm absolutely thrilled with it! (I even rarely use now my BS9000 : that's a sign...). So easy to use, to switch on/off, etc...

I switch to Speakers 4 and then the party can begin! And I just discovered a few days ago that 'A-PC' on the Beo4 mutes the screen (if needed).

Philippe

 

Philippe:

I have an Intel Mac Mini acting as a media center with my BV6-26, and I'm absolutely thrilled with it! (I even rarely use now my BS9000 : that's a sign...). So easy to use, to switch on/off, etc...

I switch to Speakers 4 and then the party can begin! And I just discovered a few days ago that 'A-PC' on the Beo4 mutes the screen (if needed).

Philippe

 

Philippe,

How did you connect your Apple mini to the BV ?

As i could see we only need a dvi-to-dvi to connect to the BV and a optical (minijack) to optical to connect to the BV right?

Does the BV auto-detects it ?

TIA. 

>>Geez. I'd better wait a while and see what happens.<<

pedrompinto:

Philippe,

How did you connect your Apple mini to the BV ?

As i could see we only need a dvi-to-dvi to connect to the BV and a optical (minijack) to optical to connect to the BV right?

Does the BV auto-detects it ?

TIA. 

Yep, the Mac Mini is connected via a DVI-DVI cable to my BV6 and I run a minijack stereo cable to the sound input on my BV6. The only difference with your set-up is that my BV6 is "constrained", because if you connect a PC, you can't couple its video signal to a digital sound input (it's only a stereo minijack input on the BV6), so I just can get stereo sound instead of 5.1 but I found that using Speaker 5 with a stereo sound was OK anyway, so no big deal...

Owning a BV7, you won't have this constraint because you can couple your DVI video input to any digital input of your choice (connectiosn menu) and you'll basically need an optical to coax input (cause I'm not sure you have an optical input on your BV7). If I'm mistaken and you do happen to have an optical input, you'll just need an optical-optical cable, as you stated.

As for the detection, no problem at all : press 'PC' on the Beo4, and get ready to enjoy Apple's Frontrow interface with hours of music, videos, well whatever comes to your mind! ;-)

BTW, Pedro, do you happen to be portuguese as well?

Edit : Christ, am I dumb or still a bit drunk (came home from a wedding last night with only a couple of hours of sleep)... Just came to notice you live in Portugal, Lisbon, so you sure are portuguese!

Philippe (Moreira)

The first point is the price, Apple TV is about a third of the price of a good Mac mini.

Secondly, software. I had a mini connected via DVI, it could play iTunes, iPhoto and, of course, VLC and Safari. Apple TV doesn't have a direct Internet browser yet, although Apple seem to be improving its capabilities bit by bit (as evidenced by YouTube's recent addition and the tantalising USB socket). 

The third point is that you can't run BeoLink on an Apple TV as it has no software loading GUI (unless hacked!) but you can run BeoLink on a mini using BeoPort with an attached IR eye---but this can only be controlled from that IR eye, not from another room. You set up beoLink to receive commands as PC, or L-PC accordingly.

Fourthly, of perhaps minor interest, is that Apple TV can be fed from a Mac or a PC. 

Lastly, make sure you buy a 160GB Apple TV (if you choose to buy one that is). You'll need the HD space unless you intend to stream most of your TV shows and movies. May I also recommend an Elgato Turbo.264 accelerator stick on your main Mac to speedily turn your AVI files into MP4 or Apple TV-playable files via iTunes. 

What am I saying, not BeoLink, BM Link on the Mac