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GimmeSlack12

macrumors 603
Apr 29, 2005
5,403
12
San Francisco
It'll play DVD's fine, but you can get a DVD player cheaper than a G4 Mini. Don't waste you money. It will not play anything HD, believe me I've been down this road.
 

TehFalcon

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 6, 2011
1,117
995
United States
It'll play DVD's fine, but you can get a DVD player cheaper than a G4 Mini. Don't waste you money. It will not play anything HD, believe me I've been down this road.

Well I Got a blueray player for the HD Videos. Its Just cool having a full blown Desktop OS On your wall :D

The Core Duo (Not core 2 duo) Mac Minis cost around the same as the G4's, Would they play HD??
 

The-Pro

macrumors 65816
Dec 2, 2010
1,453
40
Germany
Well I Got a blueray player for the HD Videos. Its Just cool having a full blown Desktop OS On your wall :D

The Core Duo (Not core 2 duo) Mac Minis cost around the same as the G4's, Would they play HD??

You can get a core duo and upgrade the CPU in it to a core 2 duo (up to like 2.3 GHz)
I use a 1.83GHz core 2 duo hooked up to a BenQ 1080p beamer. I can play 720p movies just fine (they look amazing), I haven't tried Full HD movies yet.
i might play them. The CPU isn't the problem, its the Intel GMA 950, which just sucks.
 

AdrianK

macrumors 68020
Feb 19, 2011
2,230
2
You can get a core duo and upgrade the CPU in it to a core 2 duo (up to like 2.3 GHz)
I use a 1.83GHz core 2 duo hooked up to a BenQ 1080p beamer. I can play 720p movies just fine (they look amazing), I haven't tried Full HD movies yet.
i might play them. The CPU isn't the problem, its the Intel GMA 950, which just sucks.
I was just about to say this, C2D updates can be had cheap.

The GPU isn't a problem at all because it's not utilised for video decoding.

In fact, you can play full 1080p of a Mac Mini Core Solo if you install a Broadcom Crystal HD card (where the wifi card currently is). It will cost you less than a Core2Duo upgrade, and it will play any (raw, not x264) blurry you can throw at it, even a 2.3GHz C2D will choke on some high bitrate stuff.
 

The-Pro

macrumors 65816
Dec 2, 2010
1,453
40
Germany
I was just about to say this, C2D updates can be had cheap.

The GPU isn't a problem at all because it's not utilised for video decoding.

In fact, you can play full 1080p of a Mac Mini Core Solo if you install a Broadcom Crystal HD card (where the wifi card currently is). It will cost you less than a Core2Duo upgrade, and it will play any (raw, not x264) blurry you can throw at it, even a 2.3GHz C2D will choke on some high bitrate stuff.


explains why mine isn't having any problems :D
Interesting product, and that replaces the wifi card? where and how is it connected?
 

AdrianK

macrumors 68020
Feb 19, 2011
2,230
2
Interesting product, and that replaces the wifi card? where and how is it connected?
It's installed in a mini PCI-express slot, but since the mini only has one slot and the wifi card is currently situated there, you can only have one or the other. Not a big deal since you can get a usb wifi adapter for ~$10 these days.

Applications need to be built to utilise the card though, and I believe the only one that does currently is XBMC.
 

The-Pro

macrumors 65816
Dec 2, 2010
1,453
40
Germany
It's installed in a mini PCI-express slot, but since the mini only has one slot and the wifi card is currently situated there, you can only have one or the other. Not a big deal since you can get a usb wifi adapter for ~$10 these days.

Applications need to be built to utilise the card though, and I believe the only one that does currently is XBMC.

oh tahts how it works, got it. pretty nice

Damn that sucks :D
 

warvanov

macrumors 6502a
Oct 13, 2011
504
12
I wouldn't recommend using a G4 mini as a home theater PC. I have one that I bought when they first came out and the only thing it's useful for as far as HTPC is to play standard def .avi's. It plays DVDs just fine, but I'd rather use a DVD player as the mini doesn't have digital audio out. Also, the mini isn't powerful enough to use Netflix, Hulu or YouTube most of the time, and that alone rules out a lot of the reason to have a HTPC in the first place.

Honestly, you'd probably be better off with an AppleTV or an Xbox 360. What's your budget anyway? The Xbox 360 can do Netflix and Hulu Plus, and it can also be set up to stream movies and shows from your PC or Mac. Right now I use my Xbox to watch Netflix and to stream shows downloaded and stored on an external hard drive connected to my G4 Mac mini.
 

TehFalcon

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 6, 2011
1,117
995
United States
I wouldn't recommend using a G4 mini as a home theater PC. I have one that I bought when they first came out and the only thing it's useful for as far as HTPC is to play standard def .avi's. It plays DVDs just fine, but I'd rather use a DVD player as the mini doesn't have digital audio out. Also, the mini isn't powerful enough to use Netflix, Hulu or YouTube most of the time, and that alone rules out a lot of the reason to have a HTPC in the first place.

Honestly, you'd probably be better off with an AppleTV or an Xbox 360. What's your budget anyway? The Xbox 360 can do Netflix and Hulu Plus, and it can also be set up to stream movies and shows from your PC or Mac. Right now I use my Xbox to watch Netflix and to stream shows downloaded and stored on an external hard drive connected to my G4 Mac mini.

Well im looking $100 or less. And eBay has tons of Early mac mini G4's and Core Duo/Solos for $100 and less. I Already Own a Xbox 360, but Its in the other room for gaming, I Wouldnt game on a projector, Mines a 1080p Projector BTW. I Have Considered an Apple TV, But is it better than a Mac Mini Core Duo? I Really like having a full desktop to browse the web and such.
 

warvanov

macrumors 6502a
Oct 13, 2011
504
12
Well, what is it exactly you'd like to be able to do with a HTPC? If it's Hulu, Netflix, HD video or anything else that's even remotely demanding, you're going to be disappointed with a G4. I would recommend you spring for anything Intel or later. I don't know how much better a slightly newer Intel mini will perform, but the G4 mini won't be worth the effort IMO.
 

TehFalcon

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 6, 2011
1,117
995
United States
Well, what is it exactly you'd like to be able to do with a HTPC? If it's Hulu, Netflix, HD video or anything else that's even remotely demanding, you're going to be disappointed with a G4. I would recommend you spring for anything Intel or later. I don't know how much better a slightly newer Intel mini will perform, but the G4 mini won't be worth the effort IMO.

Yeah, Hulu, Netflix, iTunes (HD Movies and TV Shows I Buy), and some YouTube. It would be running at a resolution of 1920x1080
 

warvanov

macrumors 6502a
Oct 13, 2011
504
12
Yeah, Hulu, Netflix, iTunes (HD Movies and TV Shows I Buy), and some YouTube. It would be running at a resolution of 1920x1080

Yeah, the Mac mini G4 won't do most of that. An Apple TV will do most of it though and that's only $99.

I'm not sure what the oldest Intel mini is that will run the things you want it to. I would suggest making sure it will be able to before you make a purchase.
 

crashnburn

macrumors 6502
Nov 18, 2009
466
28
I AM LOOKING TO FIND THE SAME.

Old Slow Mac Minis that are or can be made equivalent of Apple TV 1 + Crystal HD?

I love my ATV1 + Crystal HD XBMC setup. A Mac Mini that can be made or is equivalent of ATV1 + Crystal HD?

I am wondering which Mac Mini (how old or new of a Mac Mini Model) could do the same / be equivalent with or without the Crystal HD?

Which of the older Mac Minis (with or without Crystal HD) can work as well as at HTPC Group 3 EQUIVALENT as per Eskro's rating system i.e. ATV1+Crystal HD Card?

Something less powerful or not as new but EQUIVALENT to play the Group 3 stuff would be good enough. So which MacMini hardware can it go down to?

How far down the Mac Mini line can we go?

---
Group #3
* HDTV possess HDMI ports
* wants to play SD movies (DivX, XviD)
* wants to play DVD movies
* wants to play 720P movies
* wants to play 1080P movies
* wants to stream 1080P Hulu content

Best Served By?
* AppleTV1 + Broadcom Crystal HD
(sole way for playing 1080P via purely Component HDTV's)
(Hulu requires Bluecop's XBMC Hulu add-on or the use of a Linux distro)

HTPC / MEDIA PLAYING - GROUP CATEGORIES as per ESKRO
http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?p=843683#post843683

The objective is to be as powerful as this for playing movies from a NAS.
 
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