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[audioguy]

I have a NAS filled with about 400+ movies I have ripped using MakeMKV.  Movies are regular BluRay and 4k/HDR, all formatted in MKV.  I'm currently using an AppleTV to play them but it has no current ability to play Atmos soundtracks (or DTS:X either) nor any guarantee it will be able to ever bitstream those to my processor.  Hence the looking around for an alternative.  I previously owned a music server utilizing JRiver and loved it but someone else did all of the work and I just had to use it.

I am up to buying a standalone Mac mini (or even a small PC if that is what I need) on which to run JRiver.  So here are my questions: (1) Can JRiver play 4K/HDR movies? (2) Can it play Atmos movies? (3) Can it read MKV files? (4) Assuming yes to the first three questions, do I have to be a computer whiz kid to install and run it? (5) assuming the answer to (4) is no, is there some kind of "JRiver for Dummies" document someplace that will allow me to easily install it and get it up and running?

Thanks

PS.  If there is an individual or company that would/could install and get this operational for me (remotely I would suspect), I am more than willing to consider that as an option.  I really prefer just to watch movies and not spend lots of time installing a debugging a vehicle for doing so.  I am also NOT willing to buy some prebuilt product for an exorbitant price !!

[tyler69]

While I never tried 4K on a macOS version of MC, it plays FullHD MKV files just fine. Atmos in MC is not supported at all (neither OS) as far as I know (maybe somebody can correct me on this).

At least an Apple TV 4K can do all three points (well 2 of them as of now. Atmos will be supported soon I guess): https://www.cultofmac.com/504227/apple-promises-dolby-atmos-coming-apple-tv-4k/)

[Awesome Donkey]

The weak spot might be the Mac Mini. Do you know the specs of the one you're looking at? It's possible (especially if it's integrated graphics) that it *might* not be powerful enough for 4K MKV, not sure. If it had a dedicated GPU (e.g. a Nvidia GTX 1060 or AMD RX 580) it likely would suffice.

[RoderickGI]

1) Yes.
2) It can Bitstream ATMOS to an external processor for decoding and playback.
3) Yes.
4) A little bit, yes. At a minimum you would need to be willing to search and read forum posts to work it all out. But there are people doing what you want, who could help.
5) Not really. It is all in the Wiki and Forum.


I would be hesitant about the Mac Mini as well. A Windows PC is more likely to work with less trouble, and a discrete graphics card is almost mandatory for serious 4K with HD audio, even if only to support the latest standards.

Finding a local JRiver expert sounds like the right idea, or a remote person who can specify the hardware to be set up. 4K with HDR and ATMOS/DTS:X is still a bit bleeding edge.


But, if you have an external ATMOS capable processor, have you tried to get the Apple TV to Bitstream ATMOS to it, rather than play it?

[danfl75]

Don't buy a mac mini now, hopefully they'll release an updated model soon:

https://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#Mac_Mini

I've enjoyed my 2012 mini a lot with MC, and it's been pretty easy to maintain and use, but I'll probably switch to Windows soon. The OS sounds better, can be customized to sound even better with fewer threads, and I think MC runs best on it's first home. There's always a bit of feature lag to the Mac and Linux versions.

If you find an expert willing to help remotely with system config and setup, let us know. It seems like this should be a small cottage industry.