Mac Mini :: Mac Mini As HTPC: Keyboard Sound Controls Don't Work?
Jan 10, 2010
I have my Mini hooked up through a usb/minidisplayport to HDMI adapter. On my keyboard when I push mute or volume up or down, the computer shows the mute/vol up/vol down icon on the screen when I push it and it makes the volume sound, but it does not actually mute the tv or make the volume go up or down. Only the actual TV controls will make it work.
I'm thinking of getting a Mac Mini as an HTPC and for holding my iTunes library and AVI's. I currently have an upscaling DVD player that also has a USB socket for DivX stuff and would like access to my iTunes library also. I was thinking of simply adding an AppleTV to the set-up but I've been considering a Mini also. My questions are:
1) If I have a Mini in the living room with all my AVI's and iTunes stuff on it- can I Wake-On LAN it using a Mac laptop, my iMac or an AppleTV in another room to access my library if it's sleeping? If I wanna watch a movie in bed on an AppleTV I don't want to have to nip downstairs to wake my Mini 'cause it's power-saving. 2) Would a Mini work well as an iTunes media server? Not bothered about accessing it from the internet, just want access through wired and wi-fi within the house. 3) Could I control the Mini remotely from the iMac or laptop over the network to save connecting a keyboard/mouse to it? For example if I need to perform a software update or move some files? I can do that over the network with another Mac, right? Sort of remote desktop? 4) Could I control the Mini, purely for playback, from Remote on an iPod Touch? 5) Is there a hack/fix/workaround to add AVI's (DivX and xVid) to Front Row? I understand these wouldn't be playable on the AppleTV.
I've tried searching for individual answers to the above but it's a bit confusing. I'm not sure of the difference between Back To Mac or Apple Remote Desktop. And I'm not sure about the WOL stuff either.
[URL] I just found out about these. Looks interesting, and fairly cheap too. The specs are fairly low, but they are absolutely quiet, smaller than the Mac Mini, and still does what it was made to do... basic web browsing, HD video streaming, maybe a music server, etc. basic stuff. And it is fairly cheap, too. Just thought you guys might want to know about something cool I found on the intronet.
I'm using a 2GHz MacBook Pro as a HTPC, but it has developed some major heat issues and is not much longer for this world. I have read some threads regarding overheating issues with Minis and wonder if that is still an issue? I want to replace the laptop with a Mini and don't want to run into the same problems.
I have a March 2009 Mac Mini that was working fine under Leopard when sending out a signal from mini display port to hdmi and then to a Samsung HDTV. Now when I upgraded I get more options for monitoring HD signals but my TV signal drops out intermittently. I suspect this is a bug with Snow Leopard and HDMI. Anyone have any inklings on how to solve this issue?
I've got all kinds of issues going on-My p12 key will not work for volume and I also have this black box appear on my screen and won't go away and I have 2 of shut down,restart and logout.
I recently obtained a Mini which I've connected to my TV for watching movies/etc. I don't have a keyboard or mouse on the Mini.I ripped a disc the other night (via a remote connection) and realized that I don't know how to eject the disc from the Mini without a keyboard, mouse, or remote connection from my MBP. I suppose there is probably some way to script MTR and then execute a disktool afterwards but what if I'm just watching a disc and want to eject it?
Every once in a while my Mac Mini will start to chirp/squeak. It almost sounds like crickets. It started doing it again about 5-10 minutes ago and just stopped as I began typing this post. Does that sound like it could be the fan making the noise or the hard drive? I would think that if it were the drive I would here it MUCH more often.
I ordered a new Mac Pro 2.66 octo with a single video card (GT 120). I also ordered a mini for use a a HTPC in my living room.I have a TV in my bedroom too (where my Mac Pro is going to be placed). I was wondering if there's a way to "partition" the display of my Mac Pro so that when I'm at my desk, it functions as a regular computer, and also be able to use it for Front Row, Plex etc with an apple remote. I'll can attach an IR receiver to my Mac Pro. I'd like this to be setup so that the two modes do not interfere with each other and effectively function independently. Is such a setup possible with a second video card?I idea is the share my media between the mini and mac pro so that I have access to the Front row etc from both rooms.
I have an Early 2009 Mac Mini with Mini DVI and Mini DisplayPort. And I have two 1080p HDTVs. The Mac Mini is capable of dual display, and I've gotten it to work before, so the issue is not the TV or Mac. And I have tried both Mirroring and No Mirroring.
I got a Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter (#5311) and a Mini-DVI to HDMI Adapter (#4852) both from MonoPrice. And for some reason I can't get the Mac Mini to dual display, it's only one or the other.
Before I had a Mini Displayport Male and USB Male AUDIO to HDMI Female Converting Adapter (#5969) and I got video on both HDTVs, but not audio at the same time b/c one was USB and one was TOSLINK.
I'm not sure why I can't get video on both monitors. Any help?
I need to connect my 09' Mac Mini to my Yamaha RX-V2700 receiver which outputs to my Sony XBR HDTV. I know the mini has both mini-dvi to dvi and mini-dp to dvi or hdmi available via adapters. I was thinking to go with option 1 however I was wondering what is your opinions? Is mini-display port better over mini-dvi or are they the same? Audio will be carried over optical toslink.
Option 1: Using mini-dvi adapter to dvi: Connect Dvi-Hdmi cable to receiver and output audio with toslink adapter.
Option 2: Using mini-dp adapter to dvi or hdmi: Connect Dvi-Hdmi cable to receiver and output audio with toslink adapter.
I want a icon on my desktop so I can quickly switch between internal sound and usb sound (tv sound).... Can that be done? I'm not good with scripts at all.
Am I doing something wrong? I got headphone to RCA (white/red) into my T.V from the Mac Mini.
The sound is *really* low. If I change my source to my Xbox 360 the sound is really high on my t.v at volume level 20-30 (never have to go above 40 usually) - This is on a Samsung 40 inch t.v
Now when I'm on my Mac Mini I have to put my volume output all the way full and then go all the way to like 90 on my t.v and it still isn't that loud... it's loud but almost sounds like it's being too loud without too much oomph (feel no bass or anything yet on the 360 I definitely feel bass of off my t.v)
Is this just the sound card quality off of the mini? Not that great? What do I do to improve this?
I have had my mini since 2009. This issue has happened intermittantly since I got it but has happened several times in the last while. The sound output goes to zero. On it's own. I go into system preferences to sound and slide the bar back to my desired level and all is ducky until it happens again. I suppose I should have spoken to Apple about this when Applecare was still in play but it did not happen much. Silly me. Any ideas about the cause? I am guessing this is mobo related and a cure will be costly. If I go that route. I run a line out of the headphone jack that splits to my amp and a set of headphones.
I will be using two displays and Plex for both Movies and Music. For Movies I would like to use the HDMI port as my second display (I hope both video and audio would go through this port at the same time.) Then on the default display I want to use to control the music and would hope that I can send the audio out the USB port to a USB out board DAC. Is this doable?
So today i was upgrading my new mini and everything goes great (or so it seems) it boots up just fine and then i try and play a song..nothing, no sound at all the volume changer is gone and everything. I take it back apart to take a look to see if i just missed something and i see this little wire dangling from where the HD is but i don't know where it goes or if it has anything to do with my problem. So if anybody has any ideas about this let me know.
My Mac Mini intel 1.83ghz has this annoying sound of the fan. It started 5 days after I put SMCfancontrol.The SMCfan control preferences reads as minimum @1500rpm,but on the top of the menu bar reads 5495rpm how to lessen the noise..before it didnt have this annoying sound
I just installed a new webcamera to my mini mac and i restarted the computer. when i restarted i went to adjust my volume using the keys on my keyboard but when i did, the icon popped up but there was a circle with a line through it. i tried fixing it with system preferences but it wont let me change anything. I even tried unplugging the webcamera to see if that was the problem but its not.
I use to hear only a fan that's only if I put my ear right next to the fan in other words it was silent, but for some reason when I updated to 10.7.4 I can hear this clicking sound that is coming from the Mac I did not have this ploblem in previous version (10.7.3 &10.7.2) this started happening exactly when it finished updating.
Oh and the Mac Mini is new I only use it for basic task (email & surfing the web) and I updated the exact same day when 10.7.4 was released.
I just have another question regarding the new mac mini. I heard before buying it that it had an outlet for a optical sound cable, so I went and bought the Mac Mini and an optical cable, got both today, hook up everything and now I dont see the outlet on the Mac Mini. How do you get optical sound from it?
I am having optic output problem with my new mac mini, I am running optical out to my Pioneer AV amp and no matter what I do I cannot get any sound? I have tried the optical lead on other devices and all is fine - and even checked to see if the mini mac is generating the red light at the other end of the lead and that's fine too?
I would like to have audiosignal out on both HDMI and analog jack simultaneously, but it seems like i only can use one at the time - is that really true...?
Can the new MAC mini output sound over HMDI. I have an older mini with DVI and it cannot output sound so I am considering buying a new one if sound is supported.