Mac Mini Comparison
Apple enthusiasts seeking an alternative to the Apple TV sometimes consider the Mac mini hardware as a more powerful, a bit more expensive, solution for a Home Theater PC (HTPC) option. As a full-featured computer, it lacks the out-of-the-box simplicity and ease of use of the Apple TV. Unlike the Apple TV and other iOS devices, the Mac mini must be authorized for FairPlay, reducing available authorizations for other computers. However, once configured for home theater applications, viewers were able to use the supplied remote control to activate and navigate Front Row, though other media management packages are still an option. Front Row was only available with Mac OS X 10.4 to 10.6. It was removed in Mac OS X Lion (10.7). Advantages include expandable storage, support for multiple video and audio codecs, and access to third party media management software. The Mac mini remote can also control volume for all applications including video and music.
The Mac mini can stream content from services like YouTube, Hulu and Netflix, using either a browser or one of several full featured free HTPC applications like XBMC Media Center, Boxee, and Plex.
The Apple TV must be hacked to add software such as XBMC Media Center to partly compensate for the lack of browser-based functionality. Since this is not a stock set up, official software updates remove the hack and it could void the warranty.
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“What is man in nature? A nothing in comparison with the infinite, an all in comparison with the nothing—a mean between nothing and everything.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)