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Macbook Air as a Media Center

D

downingp

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 26, 2006
640
3
I currently am using a Macbook Air Rev A to finish up graduate school. Once I graduate, I plan on getting rid of the Macbook Air and getting a mac mini to serve as a media center.
In the meantime, I have on order a DVI to HDMI cable to connect to my HDTV and have a mini to RCA cable for sound. How will the Macbook Air function as a Media Center?

Thanks.
 
downingp said:
I currently am using a Macbook Air Rev A to finish up graduate school. Once I graduate, I plan on getting rid of the Macbook Air and getting a mac mini to serve as a media center.
In the meantime, I have on order a DVI to HDMI cable to connect to my HDTV and have a mini to RCA cable for sound. How will the Macbook Air function as a Media Center?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

As long as you're not watching 1080p flash, then fine!
 
cmcbridejr said:
Also, be careful not to overheat it.
Click to expand...

What is the key to not letting it overheat? I haven't used the Macbook Air for video in a while, but I do recall hearing the fans and the video stuttering when I would watch a TV show from HULU, Netflix, or any other content over the internet.
 
downingp said:
What is the key to not letting it overheat? I haven't used the Macbook Air for video in a while, but I do recall hearing the fans and the video stuttering when I would watch a TV show from HULU, Netflix, or any other content over the internet.
Click to expand...

I am not exactly sure how you plan on using it as a media center, but I use Handbrake almost daily to convert DVDs to AppleTV compatible files.

Handbrake is very processor intensive and typically causes my iMac 3.06 GHz processor to get extremely hot. Therefore, I would be cautious about constantly overheating the processor of such a compact computer like the MacBook Air.
 
I actually also use Handbrake to rip my movies. I have all my movies stored on my iMac. I plan on streaming the movies from the iMac to the MBA to watch on the HDTV
 
Well it turns out the MBA is not going to be used as my Media Center. The MBA is just not meant for watching/streaming video. After about 5 minutes of watching a movie, the video will start to stutter; making the movie unwatchable. Also, when I plug in a mini to RCA cable from the MBA to my receiver I can hear a very noticeable high pitch buzzing noise.
Oh well, I guess I will just have to wait until I can sell my MBA for a mac mini after graduation.
 
downingp said:
Well it turns out the MBA is not going to be used as my Media Center. The MBA is just not meant for watching/streaming video. After about 5 minutes of watching a movie, the video will start to stutter; making the movie unwatchable. Also, when I plug in a mini to RCA cable from the MBA to my receiver I can hear a very noticeable high pitch buzzing noise.
Oh well, I guess I will just have to wait until I can sell my MBA for a mac mini after graduation.
Click to expand...

well i'm sorry to hear that. but i must ask, where you streaming movies over wireless?
 
Yes I was streaming movies/TV shows from my iMac to my MBA via a wireless connection. I have also had problems just trying to watch movies from the internet on Netflix
 
CoolBook will undervolt your processor and helps many people have their videos run just fine on it. I watch flash video on my Rev A all the time and it works great. I'd recommend using Plex as that works really well with HD video on the MBA.

Flash - Yes
Quicktime - Yes
Quicktime/Plex/VLC HD - Yes
Flash HD - No

Good luck!
 
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