How to: Mac Mini Media Centre

  • Thread starter Deleted member 651465
  • Start date
Soldato
Joined
13 Jan 2003
Posts
23,628
You realise that Apple have allowed H.264 hardware acceleration - the same nVdidia 9400 acceleration that XBMC on linux uses :D Currently the API is under NDA but I suspect that XBMC and Plex will both have solutions in place..
 

Deleted member 651465

D

Deleted member 651465

OP
Great guide EVH!

Quick question though, is there any other way of just adding media without having to go through renaming all my files to conform. How does this work for Series which arent in the online databases as well?

Plex is pretty good at figuring out names of files, it's more to do with having correct directories.

E.g. It will find Lost.S01E01.xvid.avi providing it's in the correct folder and sub folders. In this example, that would be TV Shows > Lost > Season 1.

If you find something that is outside the TV database (thetvdb.org) or the movie database (IMDB) then you can submit the details yourself.

I had to do this for Alan Partridge SE02E03 because it was incorrectly showing as a special episode.

Both sites are free to register :)
 
Associate
Joined
13 Jul 2009
Posts
832
As much of an Apple fanboy I've become in recent months I really see no need to do this.

It's just a very over the top way of having an HD Media Player, which basically does the same thing but better (and for only £150).

Still I guess if it's an old mac mini that you would otherwise get rid of it's a good idea.
 
Soldato
Joined
30 Dec 2004
Posts
2,869
Location
Stoke-on-Trent
I've had this in my mind for some time to do away with my W7 htpc (on mediaportal) but the issue I have it recording TV from DVB-T and DVB-S. If this was easy then I'd be over in a flash as its all so much more compact and easier to use. :s
 

Deleted member 651465

D

Deleted member 651465

OP
As much of an Apple fanboy I've become in recent months I really see no need to do this.

It's just a very over the top way of having an HD Media Player, which basically does the same thing but better (and for only £150).

Still I guess if it's an old mac mini that you would otherwise get rid of it's a good idea.

Totally agree, buying a Mac Mini just for this purpose is a waste, but it's perfect for older machines. I use mine as a desktop machine and a media centre (piped around the house to the Plasma etc) so it was a worthy investment.

I've had this in my mind for some time to do away with my W7 htpc (on mediaportal) but the issue I have it recording TV from DVB-T and DVB-S. If this was easy then I'd be over in a flash as its all so much more compact and easier to use. :s

Have you looked at the Elgato USB sticks? I believe you can customise filenames, so they are output to a folder set or straight to iTunes.

Thinking about it, you could also use Hazel and create some custom scripts to move these recordings to proper folders which Plex could see and import automatically. I haven't done it myself, but it's possible with some work.

Is there anyway to get plex running on a G4 mac mini?

IF not what other options for a media centre do you have ?

Not that I could find. The Plex forums state it's Intel only, leopard only.

XBMC has PPC support, so you could install that and have the "Aeon" skin which I use on Plex :)

http://mirrors.xbmc.org/releases/osx/ppc/xbmc-10.1-ppc.dmg
 
Back
Top Bottom