Mac Mini as Media Center using Plex

[AkshatShetty]

I am planning to purchase a Mac Mini to employ like a media center, whilst running Plex. I have never seen this configuration but I hope that it could work. Is there anyone who has successfully achieved this configuration? Will this setup going to work for me? Furthermore which Mac Mini would you suggest, though the cost is not a problem? Is the Mac Mini competent of complete 1080p playback devoid of stuttering/lag? I will not going to install whatever thing else on this besides Plex and a few video codecs.

[Mrigankasekhar]

That sharing of "bad" experiences is fine, but as long as they have a happy ending (in this case a MacMini). It is otherwise frighten readers and become the other way seeing how difficult it can be "done" or put on a domestic MediaCenter. Have often commented that that Apple TV should offer more, give more and more acceptable, and there has been people carrying unlocking software, but the truth is more rewarding pay the price for a MacMini a AppleTV as well as to pay a little more than an iPod Touch you buy an iPhone.

[Christina 80]

Since Plex does not have a TV engine that I had to integrate EyeTV as external application. The Plex is in without any problems. One has to only select the menu "Programs" to add a new source, so integrating the application. If such an application is started, the Plex is automatically terminated and restarts once the application is terminated. The only drawback here is the moment of transition, i.e. switching between Plex and the application. The rule is there for a few seconds of the desktop visible, which disturbs the overall picture somewhat. Therefore I have put special attention on making this transition as harmonious as possible.

[HALLBJORN]

I have a Mac mini in my living room are serving as a mail server (more about that another time), and a media player to my TV and sound equipment. And yet I am recently addicted to the wonderful open source media center initiative Plex . The program is a tremendous addition to my TV-viewing experience, and operates in a particularly elegant and well executed manner. Plex is a derivative of the famous XBMC media center, an open source project that provides a rich media interface to a variety of platforms, counting Mac, Windows, Linux as well as still the X-Box, which gave the project its original name.

[Dritan]

Plex XBMC is a derivative, like Mediaportal, Boxee and virtually 100% of the MediaCenter today is no more modern or supports anything special, in fact to the contrary, its development is much slower and the community behind it infinitely less than that of XBMC (same goes for Boxee, are derived from large project, XBMC, and have so far support smaller and less functionality).

[Ransom]

I have an experience of about a year or so of using a mac mini as a media player, in tandem with plex. In terms of performance no objection: the Core 2 duo is already more than adequate, let alone the i5. Although Plex, at first, literally leaves you open-mouthed at the level of user interface, I would not say that a mac mini to replace a dedicated media player: first, even if Plex has a decent plug-in for Harmony remotes, mac to lack basic functions such as starting a full screen of Plex. Finally, if controlled by Harmony, Plex has been slow, though that is not controlled by keyboard.