Do you have an old Mac Mini or looking to collect one? Apple’s smallest computer is not just a box of tricks of the size of a pint, it is a transmission device and a very capable multimedia player. For many, it is a better purchase than Apple TV 4K.
There are advantages and disadvantages to use a Mac Mini to transmit and play to local media, but I think that positive aspects exceed negatives, especially if you can get a low -price used model.
The problem with Apple TV
He Apple TV 4K It is a multimedia playback solution that starts at $ 129 for the 64 GB Wi-Fi model (and increases to $ 149 for the 128 GB Ethernet version). Execute the great friendly TVOS for the Apple screen, it has an application store very similar to the iPhone and iPad, and allows you to do things like launching your device screen to the TV using the AirPlay wireless transmission protocol.
Like the iPhone and the iPad (already different from Mac), the Apple TV 4K is a highly restrictive platform. Apple has the blocked platform, and most users can only install applications from the App Store. TVOS lacks the type of customization that would associate with a “adequate” desktop operating system or even a rival platform such as Google TV.
Instead, Apple focuses on providing a user experience that has had all difficult edges. In addition, he will pay somewhere in the region of what a used Mac Mini would cost for this experience. While this adapts to many people, you will get much more freedom if you opt for Apple’s other Small rectangular box in place.
The MAC Mini is a more versatile solution
The MAC MINI is a complete computer that runs macOS, which is a “real” desktop operating system. Although macOS is more restrictive than Linux or Windows, it still feels considerably more open and expansive than iOS or Tvos.
For transmission, you can use safari or other browser to see Netflix and similar services. It will be much easier to access niche transmission services such as local television channels through the web, many of which will not have Native Apple TV applications. You can get access to almost any platform that can be accessed through the web, including massive databases such as Internet file.
You can also install your own transmission solutions, with two of the best Stremio and Kodi. Stremio is a transmission client that brings together everything in one place, with a huge database of available accessories. Kodi is a transmission of polished local media that transmits front-end with an exhaustive accessories library. None of these are available natively at Apple TV.
You also have many more options for the reproduction of local and network media on an Apple TV. You can easily mount and play from network locations, gathering a complete digital collection in one place. Do this using free applications such as Iina and VLC.
It is also a good time to buy a used Mac Mini, with modern Apple silicon models now with the M4 chip (and a new sexy design). I collected a M1 MINI for only $ 160, only $ 10 more than the high -end Apple TV 4K with twice the storage and much more energy under the hood. These machines can handle anything, from a web transmission to 4K HDR Video files of 100 GB plus 4K (trust me, I have tried).
All this is possible on a small, elegant and quiet device. It maintains the same compatibility with its Apple devices as the Apple TV 4K, so you can use it as a airplay receiver, access its media through the application of built -in photos, transmit Apple’s music and much more.
Make more with your Mac Mini
The promise of a media transmission and reproduction device that makes much more is the most attractive reason to paste a MAC Mini under its television. It is a real computer, after all, so you can use it to do real computer things. You can write an essay about it or consult your email if you liked to do these things while sitting in front of your TV.
But a Mac Mini “Box” makes much more sense by extracting double work as some type of server. Whether you opt for a late intellor model or a better M1, the MAC Mini has a lot of overload to serve files and media throughout its house. If you are already using it for the reproduction of local media, it makes a lot of sense to connect the storage directly to Mac Mini and share it through Jellyfin or Plex. If you opt for a Kodi front, there is a UPNP server that can enable the configuration,
Related
5 reasons why Jellyfin uses instead of plex
Jellyfin’s price is not the only thing that does.
You can even roll your own cloud storage solution and execute a web server (small and low traffic) for static web pages.
When configuring your MAC Mini to act as a backup location of the time machine, you can make a backup of the other Apple computers on your network directly through the network. You can even configure it so that your MAC can be administered remotely through the VNC customer using the Apple built -in VNC server (system configuration> Share> Remote Management) or install a remote administration application such as Anydesk.
And for players, the MAC Mini has a lot of potential. You can install Steam and play native Mac games (including Apple Arcade) and install sources games such as Itch.io either GOG as an emulator. Although Apple TV now can also use emulators such as Delta, the MAC Mini is much more powerful, which allows you to do things like older PS2 and Xbox games. It is also much better to manage a complete retro titles collection using an adequate file administrator (or some type of search engine alternative).
The Mac Mini has its inconveniences
Unfortunately, there are some disadvantages to use a Mac Mini for this purpose. The great is that there is no Dolby vision or Dolby Atmos support through the HDMI port included. Even if you have the last (M4) Mac Mini that has HDMI 2.1, you will only get 5.1 Dolby Surround and the outdated HDR10 of your Mac Mini.
HDR problems don’t end there either. Because the MAC Mini is a computer, it generates a unique visualization mode at the same time. There is HDR support (in 4K, nothing less) in all Apple silicon models and many more before that, but changing among them is not something that happens natively on screens without apples.
So, if you are using a MAC Mini with your TV, you will be in HDR mode or SDR mode all the time unless it changes manually between them. The HDR content looks washed in SDR mode, but my experiences with the SDR content in HDR mode have not been great either. The SDR content may seem oversaturated, to the point where it is preferable to return to SDR mode.
To solve this, I managed to find a workflow with shortcuts that I described in my Mac Mini Media Center guide. Use the Togglehdr Shortcut to execute a small Script Bash that allows you to change between modes through the menu bar or with a keyboard shortcut of your choice. It’s not ideal, but you get used to it.
On the subject of keyboards, there is one more thing that will need to consider. The Mac Mini is a computer, so it is controlled like a with a keyboard and a mouse (or trackpad). Any keyboard and mouse will serve, but for use on your couch, you may want something that you see and feel the part.
The most obvious option is the Logitech K400 keyboard with integrated packpad that all with a home film PC. You can also opt for a “Mouse keyboard” device much smaller than present a much smaller keyboard and trackpad (just be sure to get one that connects on Bluetooth). You can also use a mobile application such as Remote mouseAlthough I have found it less reliable.
Is the Mac Mini the best option for everyone?
In terms of pure flexibility and all the additional functionality it provides, the MAC MINI is the best local media reproduction device and Apple’s local transmission. Not having a Vision of Dolby is far from being ideal, and I don’t have a Dolby Atmos receiver, so I’m not lost in the sound department.
I am also someone who uses macOS all day every day. I do not care about the keyboard and mouse interface on my TV, I can sail through the operating system quickly and the additional functionality is worth it for me. My Mac Mini currently runs Stremio and Kodi, with Jellyfin installed for additional transmissions, and I have a house assistant project in process that will use the MAC Mini as an intelligent domestic server.
If you like to play, you don’t mind handling the HDR and SDR transition manually, you want applications such as Kodi and Stremio, and you would like more versatility than what an Apple TV can offer, Mac Mini is an elegant solution that adapts well. It also looks excellent in an entertainment unit, so it is worth. You can pick them up cheap, so look on Facebook Marketplace and Ebay to get a bargain (just make sure you will not be cheated).
But Apple TV also has its place. If you are satisfied with the selection of applications, such as simple remote control, you don’t need a complete computer in your living room (or you already have a trust server solution), then the MAC Mini is probably worth it. Undoubtedly, you can also get a bargain on a used 4K Apple TV.
Do you keep the Apple TV? Try infuse
While Apple’s basic multimedia player is limited and VLC for TVOS lacks some of the most advanced features you would expect from a multimedia player, Infuse Complete many of the blank spaces on the Apple media platform.
This expensive multimedia player costs $ 1.99 per month or $ 12.99 per year and can reproduce many more multimedia files than any other application. You can connect directly to cloud storage services, access Dolby Vision, HDR10+and other types of files, and record your watches history with Trakt. It could be worth it if you are looking for an Apple TV 4K experience of “enthusiastic” level.
#Apple #Transmission #Device #Apple #Mac #Mini
