Macbook Air as a Media Center

[downingp]

I currently am using a Macbook Air Rev A to finish up graduate school. Once I graduate, I plan on getting rid of the Macbook Air and getting a mac mini to serve as a media center.
In the meantime, I have on order a DVI to HDMI cable to connect to my HDTV and have a mini to RCA cable for sound. How will the Macbook Air function as a Media Center?

Thanks.

[Pixellated]

I currently am using a Macbook Air Rev A to finish up graduate school. Once I graduate, I plan on getting rid of the Macbook Air and getting a mac mini to serve as a media center.
In the meantime, I have on order a DVI to HDMI cable to connect to my HDTV and have a mini to RCA cable for sound. How will the Macbook Air function as a Media Center?

Thanks.

As long as you're not watching 1080p flash, then fine!

[cmcbridejr]

Also, be careful not to overheat it.

[downingp]

Also, be careful not to overheat it.

What is the key to not letting it overheat? I haven't used the Macbook Air for video in a while, but I do recall hearing the fans and the video stuttering when I would watch a TV show from HULU, Netflix, or any other content over the internet.

[cmcbridejr]

What is the key to not letting it overheat? I haven't used the Macbook Air for video in a while, but I do recall hearing the fans and the video stuttering when I would watch a TV show from HULU, Netflix, or any other content over the internet.

I am not exactly sure how you plan on using it as a media center, but I use Handbrake almost daily to convert DVDs to AppleTV compatible files.

Handbrake is very processor intensive and typically causes my iMac 3.06 GHz processor to get extremely hot. Therefore, I would be cautious about constantly overheating the processor of such a compact computer like the MacBook Air.

[downingp]

I actually also use Handbrake to rip my movies. I have all my movies stored on my iMac. I plan on streaming the movies from the iMac to the MBA to watch on the HDTV

[downingp]

Well it turns out the MBA is not going to be used as my Media Center. The MBA is just not meant for watching/streaming video. After about 5 minutes of watching a movie, the video will start to stutter; making the movie unwatchable. Also, when I plug in a mini to RCA cable from the MBA to my receiver I can hear a very noticeable high pitch buzzing noise.
Oh well, I guess I will just have to wait until I can sell my MBA for a mac mini after graduation.

[rgarjr]

Well yeah, laptops arent really made to be servers/media centers.

[downingp]

Well yeah, laptops arent really made to be servers/media centers.

I thought it would at least get me by until I graduated and could get rid of the MBA and get a mac mini. I guess not.

[twoodcc]

Well it turns out the MBA is not going to be used as my Media Center. The MBA is just not meant for watching/streaming video. After about 5 minutes of watching a movie, the video will start to stutter; making the movie unwatchable. Also, when I plug in a mini to RCA cable from the MBA to my receiver I can hear a very noticeable high pitch buzzing noise.
Oh well, I guess I will just have to wait until I can sell my MBA for a mac mini after graduation.

well i'm sorry to hear that. but i must ask, where you streaming movies over wireless?

[downingp]

Yes I was streaming movies/TV shows from my iMac to my MBA via a wireless connection. I have also had problems just trying to watch movies from the internet on Netflix

[aaquib]

CoolBook (http://www.coolbook.se/) will undervolt your processor and helps many people have their videos run just fine on it. I watch flash video on my Rev A all the time and it works great. I'd recommend using Plex as that works really well with HD video on the MBA.

Flash - Yes
Quicktime - Yes
Quicktime/Plex/VLC HD - Yes
Flash HD - No

Good luck!