Hackintosh Media Center?

[helios16v]

I'm building myself a Hackintosh media center but before I go about buying all the goods, I'm curious as to Mac's compatibility of running HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs. The Hackintosh is going to have both drive types for optimal space saving as I won't need separate external players for each media type under my TV, Just one computer.

I really don't want this to end up as a Windows Media Center build if I can't find a way to play these types in a Mac Media Center.. It'll appear to be my only option 🙁

The computer is going to have 6TB for storing all of my movies and music from the other computers in the house, and act as a home server for them all to access the media.

So.. Blu-ray and HD-DVD compatibility's for a Lion Hackintosh build?

 

[ppc_michael]

They don't take kindly to Hackintoshes around here, but I have one so I can help. 😀

Mac OS X recognizes most Blu Ray drives, as long as they are configured as AHCI in your BIOS. So you can read the data from those disks. However, it is a different story actually getting a Blu Ray movie to play. I think it's a DRM thing that Mac OS X doesn't seem to support.

Recently someone finally made Blu Ray playback software available for purchase here. I haven't tried it. But this still will not enable you to playback via FrontRow or whatever you were trying to do there.

 

[helios16v]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of Hackintosh's either but when money is tight you need to take a dive to get everything you want 😛

Plus a Mac Mini won't take two optical drives for HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs so a Hackintosh is all thats in my price range for what I'm getting right now.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to be using for a media centre as Frontrow isn't a part of Lion anymore 🙁

Thanks for the link though, I'll check that program out once I get some parts ordered for this build.

 

[aCondor]

HD-DVD? Wut r dose? 😛

 

[old-wiz]

Before you start buying hardware you'd be well advised to check on the insanelymac forum regarding what hardware will even allow you to get OSx running. OSx is picky about what logic boards and stuff it will work with.

 

[helios16v]

HD-DVD? Wut r dose? 😛

As far as I know, it''s a type of extinct media format disc from a planet far far away, our hostel media empire didn't take too kindly to it's alternate format change, it was sent off back to it's home galaxy about as fast as it's arrival.. Although, a few of its offspring still remain in some of our homes 🙂

 

[satcomer]

OS X media Centers:

Free (Donationware): Plex, XBMC

Ripping: Free (Donationware): HandBrake (VLC + this ripping library file) Shareware: RipIt

 

[arjen92]

Honestly, I would just put windows on there. It's not that I'm against hackintoh (we live in a free country) but for just a media center I would not go the extra mile to make a hackintosh.

Here are my arguments;

1) You can probably get cheaper hardware, as you don't need specific Apple compatible hardware.
2) It won't play nice with Blu-ray. (if at all it even wants to play them).
3) Lion is going to be a hassle. You can probably install it fine. But updates etc, it's always risky. So why risk it?
4) I assume you're going to use a program (like PLEX). Which has an entire different (optimized for media centers) GUI. You won't even notice you've got a mac because you'd be running media center software all the time. So you can just as well install windows and run media center software.

So, I don't get why you would get into all that trouble for something you won't be able to enjoy (if you use media center software).

Also I assume you use a program for your media since it's easier to control with a remote and it keeps your media organized.

btw, if you would use it as a workstation, I'd say go ahead, but now...