Mac Mini for streaming 4k content

[Marty80]

Hey Guys


I am considering purchasing the new Mac mini which will be hooked up to my Sony A8F oled tv.

I am thinking about ditching my Apple TV & using the Apple TV app on the Mac mini to stream my iTunes content on my tv. While keeping my external hdd drive always connected to the mini to play my media across the house using AirPlay .

Should I get rid of the Apple TV would I still be able to watch 4K movies on my tv in Dolby vision with atmos streaming from my Mac mini.

 

[carylee2002]

Kinda hard to say since Apple likes to control all the hardware and at the same time diminish any other ways of getting your content. If you can borrow a older mini and see if that works, then purchase what you need.

 

[FirDerrig33]

Hey Guys


I am considering purchasing the new Mac mini which will be hooked up to my Sony A8F oled tv.

I am thinking about ditching my Apple TV & using the Apple TV app on the Mac mini to stream my iTunes content on my tv. While keeping my external hdd drive always connected to the mini to play my media across the house using AirPlay .

Should I get rid of the Apple TV would I still be able to watch 4K movies on my tv in Dolby vision with atmos streaming from my Mac mini.

As much as I would like to say yes to this, I came across this as well with my Apple TV, Mac Mini, Mac Pro set up. If you mean that you're going to connect the Mac mini to the TV and play it from iTunes/AppleTV like that, then I would say that it won't since the download will be in 1080p and limited to Dolby 5.1. Your TV will most likely upscale it, but the local file on your Mini will be 1080p as far as I can tell looking at the store. I personally think you should keep your AppleTV.

 

[phrehdd]

Tough one there. There are advantages to each and yet, some will even add other devices to help achieve best results. What you may want to do is research items like Plex on Mac vs ATV for upscaling or general playback. If you are fully invested in Apple purchased movies, then might be better to stick with ATV for now. As for me, my large screen is hooked up to a streamer other than ATV. One that is definitely better at upscaling than both Mini and ATV. I do this because the streamer plays not only my files but does a good job with Amazon Prime, Hulu etc. If I want Apple purchases (I have a handful) I watch them on my 32" monitor with some nice desk speakers or headphones.

 

[Jamie0003]

Honestly, completely pointless. You can’t download a 4K copy of anything on iTunes so you’ll be streaming the content, at which point what’s the point when the experience will be better for this on the Apple TV.

Now, if you were planning on ripping blu rays and storing them on the mini that’s a different story

 

[FirDerrig33]

Honestly, completely pointless. You can’t download a 4K copy of anything on iTunes so you’ll be streaming the content, at which point what’s the point when the experience will be better for this on the Apple TV.

Now, if you were planning on ripping blu rays and storing them on the mini that’s a different story

this is a good point and what I do for myself for regular 1080p movies. but I buy the 4k versions on disc w/ digital copy of course.

but can you rip 4k blu-rays and keep Dolby Atmos? MakeKV is great for ripping but Handbrake doesn't have a codec for keeping Atmos yet..or does it? but then you'd have to have mac amounts of storage for the 50+ GB for 4K movies unless you decide to compress them....But then you definitely lose Atmos and other things and I think it'll not be worth it in the end.

 

[Jamie0003]

this is a good point and what I do for myself for regular 1080p movies. but I buy the 4k versions on disc w/ digital copy of course.

but can you rip 4k blu-rays and keep Dolby Atmos? MakeKV is great for ripping but Handbrake doesn't have a codec for keeping Atmos yet..or does it? but then you'd have to have mac amounts of storage for the 50+ GB for 4K movies unless you decide to compress them....But then you definitely lose Atmos and other things and I think it'll not be worth it in the end.

I’m sure there must be a way but it’s been years since I last did it, I tend to just stream iTunes content these days due to the convenience

 

[FirDerrig33]

O I know that you can rip blu-rays and import them into iTunes after you convert them to something that iTunes/AppleTV can use. I stream blu-rays and HD-DVD content that I ripped all the time.

There might have been a way at one point maybe before Atmos became a thing. Apple has been known to bring in features, remove them, and then bring them back again in order to get people to upgrade. Remember full screen view in Pages for OS X Lion that then went away and came back again in a later update? Fun stuff.

 

[phrehdd]

this is a good point and what I do for myself for regular 1080p movies. but I buy the 4k versions on disc w/ digital copy of course.

but can you rip 4k blu-rays and keep Dolby Atmos? MakeKV is great for ripping but Handbrake doesn't have a codec for keeping Atmos yet..or does it? but then you'd have to have mac amounts of storage for the 50+ GB for 4K movies unless you decide to compress them....But then you definitely lose Atmos and other things and I think it'll not be worth it in the end.

Wise to leave your Mini internal storage free of media files (movies) and go to either external storage or something like a NAS (network attached storage). I have used NAS for years and external disks and with great success. Given the cost of drives, and some enclosures that stack under a Mini, its a great way to take your files and have them readily accessible without compromising space on your Mac.

 

[gigatoaster]

What Apple TV model you have? I use both a Mac mini and an Apple TV 4K HDR. I’m limited with my wifi connection but I found a workaround for files above 40 GB. If I were you, I’ll keep both (if your Apple TV is 4K proof) and use Infuse Pro to stream your library. Or have you tried your TV, maybe it can stream your library, directly.

 

[danpass]

During a hurricane outage, where the internet got hit but power stayed on, I streamed my movies from my Mini to my big screen.

But I did it through the Apple TV hooked up to the big screen. With the DRM lockdown it just became easier to get an Apple TV.

(I had downloaded much of my content to the Mini for such outages)

 

[Zzyzk]

Hey Guys


I am considering purchasing the new Mac mini which will be hooked up to my Sony A8F oled tv.

I am thinking about ditching my Apple TV & using the Apple TV app on the Mac mini to stream my iTunes content on my tv. While keeping my external hdd drive always connected to the mini to play my media across the house using AirPlay .

Should I get rid of the Apple TV would I still be able to watch 4K movies on my tv in Dolby vision with atmos streaming from my Mac mini.

 

[Zzyzk]

Today I incorporated my M2 Mac Mini into my system for one reason. Mac OS 18 added audio pass through. I have a fairly decent collection on my Zidoo but all those movies I’ve purchased from Apple were meh when it comes to sound. I’ve got to say that allowing HDMI pass through on the Apple TV app on the Mac Mini brought those suckers to life. I was somewhat skeptical till I tried it but now I’m sold. Hopefully Apple will bring this to the Apple TV someday. My system is a Marantz AV7706 with a Monolith 9 channel amp in a 5.1.4 configuration. I A/B tested with the Apple TV and the computer blows the Apple TV out of the water. BTW, it’s all connected to an 83” LG C2 OLED.

 

[FirDerrig33]

Today I incorporated my M2 Mac Mini into my system for one reason. Mac OS 18 added audio pass through. I have a fairly decent collection on my Zidoo but all those movies I’ve purchased from Apple were meh when it comes to sound. I’ve got to say that allowing HDMI pass through on the Apple TV app on the Mac Mini brought those suckers to life. I was somewhat skeptical till I tried it but now I’m sold. Hopefully Apple will bring this to the Apple TV someday. My system is a Marantz AV7706 with a Monolith 9 channel amp in a 5.1.4 configuration. I A/B tested with the Apple TV and the computer blows the Apple TV out of the water. BTW, it’s all connected to an 83” LG C2 OLED.

Ok so that sounds really nice.

 

[phrehdd]

Today I incorporated my M2 Mac Mini into my system for one reason. Mac OS 18 added audio pass through. I have a fairly decent collection on my Zidoo but all those movies I’ve purchased from Apple were meh when it comes to sound. I’ve got to say that allowing HDMI pass through on the Apple TV app on the Mac Mini brought those suckers to life. I was somewhat skeptical till I tried it but now I’m sold. Hopefully Apple will bring this to the Apple TV someday. My system is a Marantz AV7706 with a Monolith 9 channel amp in a 5.1.4 configuration. I A/B tested with the Apple TV and the computer blows the Apple TV out of the water. BTW, it’s all connected to an 83” LG C2 OLED.

Nice setup. Glad to hear about MacOS 18 doing true audio pass-through. I have an M1 that I was considering for music purposes (Audivana app with iPhone remote) and now, perhaps what few movies I have from Apple. I tend to use other services to purchase streaming content and, have an okay amount of "archived" blue ray and UHD discs on NAS (and use an NVIDIA Shield TV for playback). Btw, nice Marantz there. I have downsized - Cinema 70s 7.2.

 

[Marty80]

Hey Guys

I did not realise the response I would get for this thread & would like to thank all does who replied. Just to clarify on some points, I intend on purchasing the rumoured M4 Mac Mini which has 2.1 output.

I never knew that downloading iTunes content is restricted to 1080p, I thought if you choose to buy a 4k movie it would download as 4k. I guess I learnt something new.

I am not fussy either way, as I prefer to have some sort of back up if Apple removes it from the iTunes Store to Airplay.

To this date I have had one movie speed vanish from my library. I also had another movie L.A confidential get bad audio and became unwatchable years after I purchased it.

I also have a handful of ripped movies & TV shows I cannot purchase on the Australian iTunes Store like the three stooges & married with children.

I might hang onto my Apple TV & use my Mac mini to download any content purchased on my external hdd. As I have older Sony OLED TV A8F I take burn in very seriously, and will use the mini with mixed media like watching movies on my Apple TV straight after to prevent any permanent images.

I own a Mac Pro M1 Pro max as well, but my bedroom is very tiny & dusty so I prefer to have a tiny computer permanently plugged without a battery to worry about.

When I hook it up I will provide you guys with photos of my setup. I have also built a large physical media collection , and refuse to pay for streaming, unless I get it for free from Apple.