I have a 32 inch Samsung TV that I want to be able to watch my iTunes HD Collection on. I plan on buying a Refurb Mac Mini just to hook up to my Samsung TV to via HDMI. My questions are what Model should I get for this and how much RAM should it have?
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Buying a Refurb Mac Mini for...
- Thread starter TheNotoriousROB
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Based on the use case info you provided, an Apple TV more than meets this requirement and is several hundred dollars less. Hook it up to any computer running iTunes serving up your Movie/Music content and your golden.
The base Mac Mini with stock configuration will also work, but it would be overkill. In fact you could make a strong argument that it isn't as functional as an Apple TV for the purposes you specify.
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I use the mac wired keyboard on my computer & a wired mouse I got from amazon $15
But if your going to hook up the Mac mini to the tv , get the apple bluetooth keyboard & trackpad
As far as regular remote for the Apple TV I use a harmony one
To the OP if your movies are mp4/m4v and you plan on using iTunes just get an Apple TV
If your movies are mkv and you just want to play them with plex or VLC then you should get a Mac mini 2010 & up
Any BT keyboard will work; also, the Remote app for iPhone/iPad works really well and allows faster typing (that's what I use).
Another not-well-known feature of the Apple TV is that it supports any infrared universal remote you already have. So most of the time I'm using my home theater system remote to control my apple TV, or my iPhone if I need to do some typing (i.e. a search query).
A keyboard may be handy, but is not required. If desired, you can use an Apple Blue Tooth keyboard. Other devices may also be compatible. Apple TV comes with its own remote and many others can be programmed to control the device.
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Or use handbrake to convert existing library to mp4/m4v.....
I just use the Remote app. Serves both of those purposes pretty well.
OP....if you are just going to stream from online, then I'd also say get a ATV.
Yes, this would be ideal except prices of these are running upwards of $400 plus on the used market!
When you can get a 2012 refurbished unit from Apple for only $509, it's a better deal. Plus, you can use it for real work, if you're ever in a pinch.
Get an external BR...not as elegant, then again neither is the form factor of the 2009 Mac Mini vs the 2012.
When you can get a 2012 refurbished unit from Apple for only $509, it's a better deal. Plus, you can use it for real work, if you're ever in a pinch.
Get an external BR...not as elegant, then again neither is the form factor of the 2009 Mac Mini vs the 2012.