Apple Mac mini gives one in the eye to Win MCE

[DR]

An intresting question i think might be why would someone want/need such small factor for a media box?

I'd want silence over size for media box.

just my 2 cents

I am not sure where people got the thought that these things are loud - they aren't.

I have just seen one in the Apple store in San Francisco and it was silent - I was more interested in playing with the IPod HiFi but I ran out of time

[nichomach]

Okay, you make the point very well but, of course, you can add an external TV tuner and, even without a tuner, you can access all the good stuff that is available on the internet.

Yes, you can add a tuner, but do you get PVR functionality if you do? If you do, then great. If you don't then we're back where we started. And the "good stuff"; assuming one isn't doing naughty things in terms of DL'ing hooky copies of stuff, then you're looking at probably paying for content...which'll be provided by Apple, presumably.

Please note; I don't think this is a bad machine by any means, and as I noted above I think that as a general purpose computer it's MUCH better value than the previous minis.

[Bob Crabtree]

Yes, you can add a tuner, but do you get PVR functionality if you do? If you do, then great. If you don't then we're back where we started. And the "good stuff"; assuming one isn't doing naughty things in terms of DL'ing hooky copies of stuff, then you're looking at probably paying for content...which'll be provided by Apple, presumably.

Yes, you do get PVR functionality - though, like Windows tuners, how good this is can vary.

As for good stuff that's free from places other than Apple - there is plenty of it available, and kosher stuff at that.

I don't pretend to be an expert on the free movie download sites but others, hopefully, will chime in.

One that does stand out from the crowd, though, is Atom Films:
http://www.atomfilms.com/af/home/

[autopilot]

What i want to know is, if you add the tuner how well does it intergrate with Frontrow? Does frontrow have PVR abilities like WinMCE? Would you need to exit Front row and use a third party app?

[Bob Crabtree]

What i want to know is, if you add the tuner how well does it intergrate with Frontrow? Does frontrow have PVR abilities like WinMCE? Would you need to exit Front row and use a third party app?

I'll maybe be able to give you a decent answer when the Mac mini turns up here - and Apple has said it will get one to us "in a few weeks" - but my belief is that there is no integration between Front Row in the way there is with MCE and compliant tuner hardware.

I'll try to get in a couple of Mac-compatible USB tuner products to see about this.

In the interim, perhaps others with hands-on experience of Front Row can comment.

unrealrocks ordered a Mac mini on the March 1st (and seemed to be saying he'd get a tuner,too), so maybe will be able to comment soon.

[Bob Crabtree]

Personally, I don't want to wait for an answer, so I'm emailing a few TV tuner companies.

[DR]

This is what I would have for a Media Centre in the Kitchen (lose the keyboard)



And only 400 quid from LowCostComputer..... I have to say the mount which the screen sits on is impressive

Why bother with a mac? Cheaper - and more use?

[Bob Crabtree]

David,

You are a tease!

A URL, please!

Update - I cheated and edited David's posting so I could see the link!

It's a Dell OptiPlex SX270 and, as best as I can tell, LowCostComputer has no stock and nor does anyone else - no surprising, though, given that this is a product that must have gone end-of-line a good while back (the reviews I'm seeing are circa April 2003).

But, for 400squids - oh, yes, it looks interesting.

[Bob Crabtree]

Just reporting back on the integration aspect.

I received a call from Eric Ferraz of Miglia - a company that specialises in Mac peripherals, including TV tuners - and he tells me that there is no integration between TV tuners and Front Row.

He also seem rather dubious about the idea that, right now, Mac mini is intended as a direct competitor to Windows MCE PCs or that Front Row is a direct competitor to the media-playing interface of MCE.

Slightly blowing his own trumpet, though, he did say that, in his view, the Mac PVR/TV-tuner software that Miglia uses - Elgato's EyeTV - is superior to any he's seen on Windows, though he made the point that he was talking about the Mk2 version - EyeTV 2.

Once I know when the Mac mini is coming (if it ever does), one of the products I'll get in to use with it will be Miglia's TVmini.

[DR]

The Dell is perfect for a Media Centre - especially if you get a sound bar.

Don't get me wrong - I wouldn't have it as my main one but one for the Kitchen/Cellar - would be good!