Mac Mini :: Mac Mini For Home Theater - Standard Optical Audio Cable
Apr 15, 2009
I have just read a ton of forum posts and want to make sure I am going to buy the right accessories to make my new Mac Mini all it needs to be to run my home theater.1. For 5.1 audio, do I need to buy this product and then just use a standard Optical audio cable to plug into my receiver?2. The new Mac Mini comes with a mini DVI to DVI connector correct? So all I will have to buy is a DVI to HDMI cable?3. Is OWC (other world computing) the best place to buy upgrades for the mac mini? I have looked at the videos on youtube and it seems like something I should be able to do no problem.
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Dec 9, 2010
I am trying to build a home theater computer. Currently I can either go with PC route, Mac route, or Google TV. I will be using the device to download BT or watch live stream video online. I am looking into mac mini for my home theater setup for streamline video or online download video. I was looking at the mac mini peripheral, I found out that it only have a HDMI slot. At my home theater, I have a HDMI cable wired to my projector and optical wire to my receiver. I can run component cable, but I wouldn't be able to use HDMI port for audio and video concurrently. Does Mac have any other option for me to run separate video and audio source?
I used my mbp to go into one website that my pc was able to watch the streamline video, however, I couldn't watch it with my mac. Are there website that PC can go into or watch the video from that Mac couldn't?
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Mar 3, 2009
I've been planning on getting a Mac Mini for Home Theater use, and was originally going to scoop up the old model, then bam, the refresh hit today, which brought some pleasant upgrades. There are so many threads already about the 1gb model and upgrading it and so on and so forth.
I'm basically planning on using this sytem for playing DVDs and for playing video files, up to 720p though VLC, maybe some light web browsing as well. Probably minimal application use otherwise. How much RAM do I really need in this system?
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Nov 14, 2009
What is the least I need to get a really great setup using a Mac Mini as my main entertainment source. I am planning to drop all cable/satellite and just watch shows on Hulu and stuff.
Specific questions:
1. Do I need more than 2GB of RAM to run the video without jumping?
2. Can I buy an older, used Mini or should I just buy a new one?
3. What hardware do I need to successfully run this setup?
4. Should I buy an external HD or upgrade the internal one?
5. What software do I need to successfully run this setup?
Here's the hardware that I either have already or plan to get:
1. LG42LH40
2. Mac Mini
3. HDMI cables and adapters
4. Optical Audio cable
5. Wireless mouse/keyboard
What is this Boxee and EyeTV all about?
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Apr 28, 2010
I have a black macbook now that I'm using to stream to my ps3 so I can watch on my LED HDTV. I was thinking of getting a mac mini, external hard drive, and running Plex on it to make it a dedicated htpc. But I was also contemplating on maybe just using my macbook with plex for now and purchase this
Sony BRAVIA DAV-HDX589W 5.1-Channel Theater System [URL]. MacBook is going to run me about 700 with the external hard drive and the home theater path will run me about 400 and I'll most likely get an external for my MacBook since I am running out of space.
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Jul 16, 2006
I am thinking of getting a mac mini for a home theater. I want to set it up in the home theater to hold my dvd's. Is there any way to get front row to view video_ts folders? I know there is another program that will, but I really like front row. Also anyone out there that has done the same thing that can give me some pointers? I want surround sound (optical out) and it would be connected to a projector.
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Jun 6, 2010
With a sharp fingernail I seem to have damages the internal ribbon cable that connects the audio card in my 2009 Mac Mini, and am looking to source a replacement, preferably in the EU. I'm currently in the UK.The part number is 922-8809.
A Google search reveals a few parts suppliers in Europeland, but they are all charging silly prices for the cable, and US suppliers impose ridiculously high postage charges.
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Mar 3, 2009
Could somebody point me to the type of cable I would need to connect a Mac Mini to a standard DVI port? The Mini comes with the necessary adapter, correct?
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Feb 20, 2009
This whole thing started with my friend offering to buy my imac... i currently have an iMac (witch has all my music, videos, photos and a few programs i would intend on keeping) and a recently purchased macbook uni... The goal is to keep all my music and photos etc. but i don't want to have any of them on my MB (except the programs).
I started (and almost bought) with a time capsule. I liked the wireless transfer and thought it would be cool to have my music accessed from my MB, that i would have connected to my receiver. This is where reading other threads and reviews got my wheels turning and in turn looking down the avenue of a mac mini instead or possibly a apple tv with a external hd...
The ultimate goal is to have my audio and video easily connected to my home theater. I'm not completely against hooking my MB to my receiver I just dont want to have it stored on my MB... What had started as search for a means of storage evolved into a search for an Apple (or at least apple friendly) media server. So who has the best solution?
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Jun 4, 2010
I have hooked up a 2009 Mac Mini (2.16, 4 gb RAM, SL 10.6.3) to my sony receiver.When using an analogue cable, it works, but in stereo of course. I plugged in a tosslink optical cable, and nothing happened, so I thought maybe the cable is broken, so I bought a new one. So when I plugged it in, it worked....for about 2 hours. Since then, I had no luck whatsoever, no sound, nothing, nada.I tried using the cable with my macbook, worked like a charm. Several reboots and a pram reset later, same thing, no sound. I checked the settings, but there's nothing really to change there, it's set to digital out and that's it.I even tried a ridiculously long terminal command to reset core audio, to no avail.
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Apr 28, 2012
I have attached my Mac mini to my Sony TV (to use as a moniter) - there hasn't been any trouble with the picture but I cannot get any sound.
I am using a VGA (I know that doesn't send audio over) plugged into the 'PC In' port at the back of my tv, and I am using an audio cable with a normal headphone-type jack on one end (going into the headphone port on the back of my mac mini) and the red/white cable going into the HDMI-in red/white ports on the back of my tv. I can't figure out what is going on - I tried plugging the red/white cables into all the input ports on the back of my tv, just in case, but no luck.
Info:
Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.4.11)
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Jan 12, 2009
I have a mac mini coming this week which will replace my appleTV in the lounge.
I have some questions about how to hook it all up to give me as much flexibility as possible.
I'll be connecting to my HDTV (Sony 40W4000) via HDMI (using a DVI-HDMI adapter). I realise this won't give me audio.
I run my satellite box, DVD player and appleTV through a HDMI switcher to the TV, so firstly, will the mac mini play nice with a switcher box?
Secondly, is there any way of getting audio both to my TV in stereo, and to my amp via optical? Thinking not as there is only one audio output socket which is either 3.5mm line out *or* optical toslink.
If not, then my TV would take precedence as i'll mostly be using it to watch TV. I haven't checked my TV manual yet, but how have people found using separate audio feeds (L/R RCA) into a TV that has HDMI? I'm concerned that the mini audio might bleed through when I'm watching satellite TV or a DVD - how does the TV know when to use that audio vs using HDMI? Not even sure my TV can take a separate signal.
How are people getting audio to their TVs? Might I need to look at using VGA (although that'll have issues with exact scan etc at least it should let me input separate audio, with the bonus of PiP)
Lastly, if I am forced to pipe optical to my amp as the only way to get audio from the mini, does it pipe everything down optical or only 5.1 soundtracks etc? eg are system sounds sent down optical as stereo, and will normal stereo soundtrack movies (mp4/.avi etc) play ok?
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Jun 17, 2012
I have a Monoprice USB/Mini-USB to HDMI port in Samsung LCD TV. When watching a movie being shown from my Macbook to the TV screen we can't get audio to transfer to the TV. We've tried different setting on the TV remote but nothing seems to work.
Info:
iPhone 3GS, iOS 5, Main syncing computer is MacBook
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May 4, 2009
I just picked up a new 1.83 core 2 duo at a price I couldn't pass up. I am going to use it as a HTPC so I have my hdmi cable, etc. All hooked up and ready to go. Last bit is the audio but I am having a bit of trouble. I bought a standard miniplug cable and assumed it would plug in just like my macbook. The problem is that the miniplug doesn't fit in the jack on the mini. I understand that the jack on the mini is a combo analog/optical jack but as you see below, it seems as though a standard miniplug y cable should work.
From the Apple support website:
The headphone / line output jack accommodates digital optical audio output, analog audio output with a 24-bit, 44.1-192 kHz D/A converter, digital audio output up to 24-bit stereo and 44.1-192 kHz sampling rate and supporting encoded digital audio output (AC3 and DTS). For analog headphone / line output a standard audio cable with 3.5mm metal plug should be used.
For digital audio, a standard toslink cable with a toslink mini-plug adapter can be used.I have done my research and some reading and can go out and buy an optical cable plus a miniplug/optical adapter but would rather go the analog route (I understand the quality difference) because I already have the cables and don't have a receiver or speakers, just my tv speakers.
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Mar 14, 2012
I now have video but no audio when connecting my macbook pro to my digital TV. TV is Teac HDMI and using moshi mini-display and HDMI cable.
Info:
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)
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Mar 24, 2012
I'm presently using the Toslink connection for my DAC to room speakers. Can anyone confirm that a second USB connected DAC for headphones would also be live? In short, run two DAC's simultaneously?
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Oct 14, 2010
So I purchased a stereo output to composite red/white cables. I then plugged the HDMI and composites cables into the receiver, but the it reads only the HDMI (which should include audio and video), or composite (yellow, red, white). If you have HDMI plugged it, it doesn't read from the composite, and vise-versa. So how exactly can I fix this? Why doesn't Apple have the HDMI contain audio and video (like most things, PS3, 360, consoles)? This is really odd and I cannot really use it as a home theatre system at the moment. I was hoping that it wasn't my receivers fault (2008 fancy Denon receiver, cost a few grand), but if it was to find some kind of converter that takes HDMI and stereo out, and outputs it as HDMI with audio/video.
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Aug 12, 2010
I have the 2009 Mac Mini and was wondering if the mini display port has audio output. Does anyone know? I just want to minimize the amount of cables going to my tv.
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Nov 11, 2009
My friend is looking into buying the new 27" iMac Core i7 to replace his PC desktop. The only thing holding him back is that he has an analog surround sound system he uses for his speakers. I am having a hard time myself finding a converter that can make his speakers work in the iMac's optical digital output port. Any products out there that will do that?
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Aug 2, 2009
Do i need to buy the mac edition for use in my mini or will the standard vertex drive be compatible?
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Aug 8, 2008
I have been searching the forums for information on this, but have only found incomplete leads.
How can I get Digital Audio out of my G4 mini? Has anyone done that?
I am trying to integrate the mini into my home theater, and would like to get 5.1 sound out of that for my DVDs, Rips, etc.... and also pipe my music over a digital cable.
I know the Mini's audio jack doubles as a Digital out, and I could get that to pipe audio into my receiver's toshlink jack, but I cannot find any cables that would provide a digital 8mm jack in one end and a toshlink or coax jack on the other..... any ideas?
Alternatively, are there any USB or Firewire sound cards that could help me. I found one by Griffin, but that is meant to connect to 5.1 PC speakers, and does not give a digital toshlink or coax output. Are there any out there that I could use to do this??
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Jun 22, 2010
I have an '09 mini that I think I'm looking at replacing with the new '10 mini server, but I have an audio question...
I currently use the digital output of my mini to feed my amp for my HTPC setup. I also have an Airport Express that I stream audio to for my zone 2 audio on my amp (it has to be analog on zone 2).
Well my airport express recent died and killed my zone 2 music.
My question is... can I stream the audio out of the mini in iTunes and control where it goes? I'm assuming that I can plug a stereo jack in the head phone jack on the mini, but will be live along with the HDMI port? I do most of this audio management via the iPhone remote.
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Jul 11, 2009
I have a iBook G3 that I would like to use for streaming of my iTunes library and videos from other computers in my house. What hardware (video adapters, remote) would I need. I believe that the iBook is a Dual USB model (the kind that shipped standard with a 10GB HD).
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Jul 14, 2010
I purchased a top of the line Mac Mini Server and I'd like to install the standard version of Snow Leopard on it. I tried to the following: I inserted my retail snow leopard DVD in my macbook pro and I launched "Remote Install Mac OS X" (in /applications/utilities) and I followed the instructions. Then I booted the mac mini holding the "alt" key down and selected the snow leopard dvd as startup disk. What I see next is the Apple logo with the activity indicator spinning and after several seconds I see a "no entry" sign and nothing more it stays like this forever. Is it possible to install Snow Leopard on a Mac mini server?
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Apr 3, 2009
Can anyone suggest what should I do with Mac Mini 1,83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and my two new Dell monitors?I tried them using their standard VGI cables connected to a VGI port on a Mac Mini - both are dead. Not a single flicker.
My Mac bought from a trusted friend and acts as a practically new machine - but not with my monitors.
P.S. I went through several Mac-related forums and there's abundance of issues with "alien" monitors.
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Jan 13, 2011
I want to hook my Macbook Pro up to a Sony Bravia (not sure of the exact model). I went to the Apple Store, and was given these two items to hook it up. Moshi Mini DP to HDMI Adapter with Audio Support. Belkin High Speed HDMI Cable - 6 feet
We successfully hooked it up last night, and the video worked. I was told in the store that this setup would not transfer audio, so I already knew there would not be sound coming from the TV, rather from the Macbook instead. My Q is: What's the easiest way to get audio to come from the TV? I'd rather not buy external speakers to plug in, if I can help it.
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Apr 16, 2009
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?
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Nov 21, 2009
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?
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Feb 16, 2012
I have iWork for my macbook pro. How do I get iWork into my Mac Mini with no optical drive?
Info:Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.7.3)
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Aug 4, 2010
With the new Mac Mini models, you can have audio out via HDMI or the line out. I am thinking to hook the mini up to an LCD TV/monitor via HDMI (sound on the monitor) and also to my other TV/sound system via the mini DP and audio out.
I assume when the mini turns on it'll activate both displays (if they are turned on), and from what I understand you can have two displays running. I'd only want one at a time so I'd have the other display switched off. But can the mini output audio to either both, or whichever system I am using? I've read a lot of posts but can't find a definite answer. I only want audio (and video for that matter, but can turn off other screen) to one TV at a time, but do I have to go into the OS audio settings each time I want to swap between the two?
I'm also thinking of using Plex and keeping it open at all times, just sleeping the mini when not in use. Can the mini only output to one source, requiring manual switching to the other (i.e. going from HDMI to audio out)?
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