My NEW Mac Mini 2.26 Ghz Home Theater Center

[DAMAC3]

Take a look at http://wiki.plexapp.com/index.php/Getting_Started#Applications
I have not tried it yet but you can invoke other application on your mac via PLEX. So you can add EyeTV to the Applications Menu and fire it up from there, then work EyeTV as you would normally.

Good Luck!

I appreciate your reply. I knew you could incorporate EyeTV as an app in PLEX. What I was asking about was the actual functionality (I should've been more clear about that). Is it seamless enough to be able to use a remote only? Is it easy to click back to Plex? Ease of use is what I was asking about, I guess. The wife acceptance factor is pretty huge at my house, and if I going to replace our Sat receiver w/ DVR functionality it has to just work.

 

[MoreBS]

iTunes on this setup

I'm not much of an audiophile, but you can run your iTunes through the surround sound setup, right? Is it good for a home stereo - again, not an audiophile...

 

[cubby03]

I am in need of a little bit of help so hopefully I can get some advice. I just ordered a Mini, so it should be here sometime next week. I also last week ordered a Happauge HD PVR and a SiliconDust HDHomerun which just arrived. I need help in determining if I need both devices for what I want to do.

My main iMac and Airport Extreme are in our office down the hall and away from our main area where my HDTV is. The Mini will be connected to the HDTV. My first need is just to be able to record certain programs like sporting events and favorite shows.

That is where the HD PVR comes in. I will hook that up to the Mini and to my HD DVR (only one in the house). I plan on adding the Mini to my network via wireless, and I have an Airport Express nearby for signal boosting.

All this being said, will this work and allow me to record programs to save on my Mini/external harddrive? Once there, I assume I can stream them to my iMac if need be?

Next comes the HDHomerun. I believe I understand fully what it does(maybe I don't), and maybe I can find it useful, but I have spent alot so far so maybe this is an extra unnecessary in the bunch?

I don't have to be able to watch TV on my iMac (might be nice), and if my above idea works as intended it might be overkill. I know the HDHomerun can record wirelessly over the network to my iMac, but if I can record with the HD PVR to the Mini and then get it over the network to my iMac, is the HDHomerun unneccessary?

I hope I am making sense here. I have researched this for a while, and meanbrew's post is one I found that got me thinking of how to do it. If anyone can add any insight on this all, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[aristobrat]

That is where the HD PVR comes in. I will hook that up to the Mini and to my HD DVR (only one in the house). I plan on adding the Mini to my network via wireless, and I have an Airport Express nearby for signal boosting.

All this being said, will this work and allow me to record programs to save on my Mini/external harddrive? Once there, I assume I can stream them to my iMac if need be?

Does the Happauge HD PVR come with EyeTV (or some other recording software)? Also, what do you use for TV ... cable TV?

I know the HDHomerun can record wirelessly over the network to my iMac, but if I can record with the HD PVR to the Mini and then get it over the network to my iMac, is the HDHomerun unneccessary?

Possibly. The only possible downside is that you'll have to wait for your mini to finish recording (and possibly compressing) the show before you can start watching it on the iMac, ... so there's a time delay there.

The setup I want is sort of similar to yours, ... a mini recording in the living room plus the ability to watch "live TV" on my MacBook Pro anytime. So I bought the HDHomeRun + EyeTV software. I chose this route (instead of a USB tuner for the mini + another USB tuner for the MacBook Pro) because I didn't want my laptop to be "stuck in place" when I watched TV, and I wanted the mini to be able to record two shows at the same time, if I ever needed that.

 

[cubby03]

Does the Happauge HD PVR come with EyeTV (or some other recording software)? Also, what do you use for TV ... cable TV?

I don't think it comes with EyeTV. I am going to crack it open tonight sometime. On the AVS forum there is someone who has made an app for the HDPVR for use with on Mac's. I think I might still need EyeTV though, not exactly sure? I do have cable, from Time Warner.

Possibly. The only possible downside is that you'll have to wait for your mini to finish recording (and possibly compressing) the show before you can start watching it on the iMac, ... so there's a time delay there.

The setup I want is sort of similar to yours, ... a mini recording in the living room plus the ability to watch "live TV" on my MacBook Pro anytime. So I bought the HDHomeRun + EyeTV software. I chose this route (instead of a USB tuner for the mini + another USB tuner for the MacBook Pro) because I didn't want my laptop to be "stuck in place" when I watched TV, and I wanted the mini to be able to record two shows at the same time, if I ever needed that.

That is a good point on the waiting. If for some reason my fiance needed the TV, I could still watch on my iMac. It is the 24" model so not too bad at all.

Sounds like you have a nice setup as well. Thanks for taking the time to reply back.