Yesterday I began the work of creating a media center pc for my parents. My parents use over-the-air broadcast antenna and do not subscribe to Netflix. They wanted something that would be pretty simple to use and something that could expand a bit as they needed.
The main use my parents wanted was to store movies, music, and pictures for quick access and display. They already use a MacBook computer on a regular basis and the form factor of the Mac Mini was exactly what they were looking for.
Component List
- Mac Mini ($699.00)
- HDMI Cable 6 ft. ($19.95)
- Apple Wireless Keyboard ($69.00)
- Bluetooth Wireless Mouse ($49.99)
- 1 TB External Hard Drive ($129.95)
Originally when discussing with my parents they wanted to get the Mac Mini upgraded to the 500 GB hard drive. They would then hold off on an external hard drive until more space was needed. The Apple Retail Stores do not carry the upgraded Mac Mini though, so we went with the 320 GB hard drive. The external hard drive was only $30 more than the upgrade, but it was double the size and we still had the internal hard drive too.
While hooking up the system to their home entertainment center we found out that the Mac Mini does not recognize their Bose system as an eligible sound device through HDMI. When we plugged it into their Sony Bravia TV though it did allow that. The TV sends all sound out to the receiver anyway.
Once on and updated I started setting up the media center aspects. They will be using iTunes to purchase, rent, and manage their movie catalog. They also have Hulu Desktop installed for easier media center browsing of Hulu’s offerings. Handbrake was installed so they could make personal use copies of their DVDs for playback without having to find the disc or change discs.
I have also set up remote access to the Mac Mini so that I can access and work on the Mac Mini from pretty much any computer in the house. Remote access from their MacBook will also be another way for my parents to control the media center pc.
