[mythtv-users] questions on using Mac Mini as remote frontend...

[Steven Adeff]

On Nov 21, 2007 2:00 PM, Justin Kim <justinlkim at gmail.com> wrote:
> At 9:30 AM -0500 11/20/07, Steven Adeff wrote:
> >I'm thinking of getting a Mac Mini for the bedroom as primarily a
> >remote mythfrontend for watching TV/DVD and playing music.
> >
> >reading through the list and the wiki it seems like all the major
> >parts of mythfrontend work with the OSX compile of mythtv including
> >SPDIF output for AC3 on the newer Intel Mini's. I'll be using wireless
> >for now, but will run a cat5e line to the bedroom so i can play back
> >my recorded HD content.
> >
> >But I do have some questions...
> >
> >1080p stutter? i'm confused on this issue, it seems to be only with
> >the older, slower, Mini's or that it's just that people were trying to
> >playback 1080i content over wireless? where does this stand right now?
> >
> >DVD playback? There seems to be a patch to use the internal framework
> >but that looks to have been abandoned. What is the option for playing
> >DVD's back in mythfrontend on OS X then?
> >
> >x264/h264 playback? I assume the cpu is more than capable of playing
> >this back? I've got some conversions of tv shows to x264 and am hoping
> >to be able to play them back.
> >
> >MythMusic? does it work or do people just use iTunes?
> >
> >any other current gotchas? I'll be running SVN since thats what I have
> >on my backend and main frontend.
> >
> >
> >Thanks!
> >
> >
> My 1.66 Core Duo Mini is almost fast enough to play back 1080i.  I
> see pretty consistent stuttering and the processor pegs.  If I turn
> off "Scale Video as Necessary" in he TV playback settings, I can play
> back 1080 content just fine.
>
> All playback is over a standard wired connection
>
> One thing I do see on both my mini and my 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo Macbook
> Pro is occasional slowdown of video.  This is especially noticeable
> when there are slow pans, every few seconds I see the video slow down
> for a moment, then catch back up.   In most situations, it isn't
> noticeable, but when it is, it's glaringly obvious.
>
> There isn't anything wrong with the video files.  They play back just
> fine in VLC.
>
> Justin

Scale video as necessary? so the video slow down on pans is just when
playing back in mythfrontend? are you running myth in OSX or in linux
on the Mac?


and thanks for all the info on the remote! That was one thing I didn't
think about.

anyone who is running in OSX that can answer about DVD playback? it's
not essential as I have a DVD player in the stereo system in the
bedroom right now, but it could save me money by allowing me to just
get a monitor instead of an HDTV.

Thanks!
-- 
Steve
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