Share Mac Mini with HDTV and CRT TV

[bmorris]

I have my Mac Mini hooked to my HDTV for an HTPC with Plex (miniDVI - DVI - HDMI).

It works great and I love it.

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But,
I also have a TV in my bedroom, it's a CRT.
I was wondering what the most affordable way was to connect the CRT to the Mac. It has RCA, S-Video, and Component inputs.

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The Mac Mini has mini DVI and mini DisplayPort outs.
I wasn't sure if I having 2 monitors connected to the Mac Mini would work.
They wouldn't both be on and using the Mac Mini at the same time.


I am also looking at small HDTV's on sale or possibly an LCD monitor with Coax-In for cable (which is rare now). So if I could find an LCD TV it might make it easier.

 

[ReggaeFire]

What would be easiest would be to first switch your main TV to a MDP->HDMI adapter, then you can take your mini DVI-DVI adapter and add a DVI->Component adapter to it. Those two adapters cost about $20 each.

You can then control each display setting in from the Displays system preference. You set separate resolutions for each monitor, but that may throw off some programs. Since I'm guessing the settings will be very different from one another you may have to play around with what works best settings wise. You may have to compromise a bit with some programs.

 

[bmorris]

What would be easiest would be...

well I heard mdp to HDTV can sometimes have resolution issues and fill the screen, I don't see how.

I just bought a mdp to DVI, that way if I replace the CRT with an HDTV in the future, I can just get a dvi-hdmi cable or adapter. But for the CRT now, I got a mdp-dvi ($8) and I also bought a DVI-composite video ($20). I'm waiting on the mdp-dvi to come in since I got it from eBay, and I have to pick up the dvi-RCA at the Apple store.

Plus I can use the dvi-RCA to test video projects from my MBP to a standard TV.

The only programs I use on the mini are Plex, Hulu, and rarely EyeTV.
I have compressor and transmission for the occassional download and converting video projects.