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[shAf]

I continue to have problems with my Win8 PC.  As much as I like MC on the Windows platform, I am too old for keeping up with the unreliability of PC hardware (I have an Apple MBA that's twice as old and still running strong).

I am considering the suitability of the Mac Mini and have the following questions for anyone who has similarly migrated ...

(1)  I found this video issue with MC 20 posted earlier this year, and I hope MC/Mac has caught up in this regard.  I play mostly MKV and MP4 video, but still have a few AVIs around
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=95628.0 ...

(2)  What keyboard and mouse do you use with a Mac Mini?  That is, my impression purchasing of a Mac Mini is that's all you get ... a little aluminum box with connections(?)

(3) Similar to my current setup, hopefully I'll be able to

• (a) connect to my Yamaha AVR via HDMI and still use a Thunder port (and adapter) to connect to a DVI monitor(?)
• (b) connect to 2 USB3 external drives
• (c) stream music to my iPhone with JRemote
• (d) any other considerations?

TIA 

[glynor]

I don't like the current Mini's much, which is too bad as the Ivy Bridge ones were fantastic.

Don't get one with a spinning disk. OSX really, really wants to be on an SSD anymore, and performs terribly on spinning disks anymore.

[blgentry]

(1)  I found this video issue with MC 20 posted earlier this year, and I hope MC/Mac has caught up in this regard.  I play mostly MKV and MP4 video, but still have a few AVIs around
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=95628.0 ...

Video support for Mac is vastly improved now.  I haven't used it with an external display yet, but on the Mac's screen, it's rock solid for just about every video format I've tried.  See my post here for some details:

http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=99998.0

• (a) connect to my Yamaha AVR via HDMI and still use a Thunder port (and adapter) to connect to a DVI monitor(?)

Again, I have no experience with external monitors (or TVs) with my Macs, other than playing with it a few years ago.  Seemed to work just fine back then, but I wasn't using MC back then.  Anyway, the new Mac mini has HDMI on board, so that should be no problem.  It's also got 2x Thunderbolt connectors.  You can buy an inexpensive mini display port to DVI convertor, which will plug right into one of the Thunderbolt ports, so again, you should be good to go.

• (b) connect to 2 USB3 external drives

Certainly.  I'm using multiple external USB drives with my MBP.  Currently using them with an adapter because mine is old enough to not have USB3 built in.  With the adapter, they work very very well, and multiple drives is no problem at all.

Sorry I don't have a lot of direct experience with your questions and/or setup, but I thought I could add a little to the conversation.

Thanks,

Brian.

[OldSouthernGuy]

For what it's worth, I'm running Media Center 21 on a Mac Mini connected to a Yamaha AVR via HDMI.  The Mac Mini uses a television as a monitor.  (Mini -> Yamaha -> TV.)  I use the OS X Screen Sharing facility to connect to the Mac Mini from my Macbook Pro, so I don't need an external keyboard. I do have a third-party wireless keyboard as backup, in case I cannot connect via Screen Sharing.  Note that the TV is not strictly required; I use it with Media Center in Display View mode to see what's playing and also as a backup monitor in case Screen Sharing doesn't work.  (Has not been an issue yet.) 

[OldSouthernGuy]

Sorry, should have included a bit more detail in my previous response.

1.  I have a wireless Logitech keyboard with touchpad(combined) to be used if Screen Sharing between my MacBook and the Mac Mini does not work.
2.  I use JRiver Media Center for audio only.
3.  The Mac Mini is a mid 2011 model, one of the earliest with HDMI.

[marcusturle]

I use the new Mini to run MC21 and I use it for both audio and video.  It works no problem.  My Mini is 16GB RAM, 3 GHz Intel Core i7 processor. 

I use screen share via bluetooth on my MacBook Pro to control the Mini. 

The only issue I have is that I use MC running on both the Mini and my MacBook Pro and the two seem to interfere with one another's volume settings.  Have tried to get some feedback on this from JRiver but no luck.

[Tim-Ann]

Hi, I use a 2013 Mac Mini, i7, 16GB RAM, 512 SSD I run it headless but can connect from my MacBook Pro or iPad ad iPhone but I tend to use JRemote to control MC 21.08 it works flawlessly and gives an impressive sound, go for it they are so cheap second-hand at the moment.  If you don't like it you should be easily able to sell the Mini for the price you paid for it but you won't sell it or regret it.

Tim.

[akira54]

I too run MC21 on a MacMini, in fact I run it on the Mini twice, both natively under OSX 10.8 and in bootcamp with Windows 7. It has been running flawlessly in bootcamp but I still have a problem in OSX with quite a few BluRay rips. When I select subtitles there I only get the option to browse for them. That in itself is a bind, but even when I open the ".sub" file no subtitles appear. There are no such problems running MC21 in bootcamp on my Mini. The weird things is that not all BluRays are affected; a few do show subtitles.