OK, so I have a dream . . . that dream is to have a large screen (at least 20", but ideally even bigger) hanging on the wall above the fireplace in my living room. It is the CENTERPIECE of the living room. But it does NOT play television. All it EVER does is play a continuous slide show of picture and video files of my family. No sound. No manipulation. Just pictures and videos.
I know, I know . . . I could get one of those digital picture frames. But they're not really that big yet and they don't seem like they're THAT easy to update files onto.
SO, my idea--crazy as it might seem--is to buy a little Mac mini. THEN buy a relatively inexpensive flat panel monitor, hook it up to the Mac mini, hang it on the wall above the fireplace, and let it be a dedicated system that just plays a sideshow all its life.
It seems to ME (and PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong, 'cause I've never had more than two Macs together on a wireless network) that I could just dump files into the Mac mini from my MacBook Pro over the wireless network by essentially just syncing the two.
Trouble is, I'm not sure if there's software out there that'll generate the random, full screen slideshow from my pictures AND video. I know Leapord has the screensaver program built in that'll do the job for pictures. And I know I can get this SaveHollywood program, which would handle the videos. But would EITHER be OK with video AND audio files at the same time?
Can this dream be a reality? Before I go out and drop some big bank for this pipe-dream, does anybody foresee any PROBLEMS? Is there a CHEAPER way to do what I want to do (is MacTV a potential part of a cheaper solution?).
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I know, I know . . . I could get one of those digital picture frames. But they're not really that big yet and they don't seem like they're THAT easy to update files onto.
SO, my idea--crazy as it might seem--is to buy a little Mac mini. THEN buy a relatively inexpensive flat panel monitor, hook it up to the Mac mini, hang it on the wall above the fireplace, and let it be a dedicated system that just plays a sideshow all its life.
It seems to ME (and PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong, 'cause I've never had more than two Macs together on a wireless network) that I could just dump files into the Mac mini from my MacBook Pro over the wireless network by essentially just syncing the two.
Trouble is, I'm not sure if there's software out there that'll generate the random, full screen slideshow from my pictures AND video. I know Leapord has the screensaver program built in that'll do the job for pictures. And I know I can get this SaveHollywood program, which would handle the videos. But would EITHER be OK with video AND audio files at the same time?
Can this dream be a reality? Before I go out and drop some big bank for this pipe-dream, does anybody foresee any PROBLEMS? Is there a CHEAPER way to do what I want to do (is MacTV a potential part of a cheaper solution?).
Any help would be greatly appreciated!