Consider getting a Mac....

Posted by: Occean on 27 January 2005

Finally as a die hard PC user, I have decided I may invest in Mini Mac. I want to use it as a 'plugged into the TV media computer' - what I would like it to do is:
- Sync with my ipod
- Sync with my canon camera
- plug into my TV
- Play Divx movies
- Backup anything I have recorded from my PVR box via the via a video in or something to DVDR.
- Internet and internet radio.
- Be reliable!

I know it will do most of these things, but the only part I am unsure of is the backing up to from my PVR box and how to connect it to my TV.

Also - while I have a PVR box already - would it also be viable to record straight to a mini mac with a tv tuner adapter?

This is new territory for me so any advice is welcome! I would hate to buy it and find out I need a 100 and 1 add ons to get it to do what I want.

My other option is to build a PC around a shuttle barebones - I know I can do this easily - but the mini mac appeals so much!
Posted on: 27 January 2005 by Paul Hutchings
As much as I love my Mac I thought about doing a similar thing as I was hoping to find a cheap way to archive from Sky+ to DVD.

It can be done with a computer, but the conclusion I came to after a lot of homework was buy a standalone DVD recorder, better yet one with a hard drive in it.

The problem with archiving anything to DVD via a computer is that it takes so bloody long to encode (six/seven hours).

If you did want to do it on the Mac you'd need something like a Miglia Directors Cut or a Canopus ADVC50, or if you have a camcorder with DV out I think you might be able to capture from that via the passthrough function.

I came to the conclusion being able to simply hit "record" and do so to DVD in realtime was more appealing, though I've still not settled on what model to buy.

Hope that helps some.

cheers,
Paul
Posted on: 27 January 2005 by Huwge
As a die-hard mac user, I would advise against using a Mac-Mini for the purposes you describe (outside of iPhoto and iPod) - not enough processor power, limited RAM (expensive to boost) and too small a hard-drive. Maybe in the future.

Still, if you buy it for the non-TV stuff, you'll find it very easy to use and a lot of fun.