- #MAC MINI HTPC KEYBOARD 1080P#
- #MAC MINI HTPC KEYBOARD SOFTWARE#
- #MAC MINI HTPC KEYBOARD CODE#
- #MAC MINI HTPC KEYBOARD TV#
- #MAC MINI HTPC KEYBOARD MAC#
I've written a custom applescript application that acts as the hub for most actions. I use Quicktime, iTunes, and iPhoto for media playback. I didn't have the time or skills to write a complete front end application, so I've cobbled one together from several components.
#MAC MINI HTPC KEYBOARD SOFTWARE#
I had done a survey of nearly all the HTPC front end software out there - and while there is some good stuff, none of them combined all the good features out there, and none of them had certain features I was looking for. The input from the keyboard and remote are received by a set of software components which then send control signals (mainly power and volume controls) through an IRTrans USB unit, that has one wire going back out of the closet to a small adhesive IR transmitter on the TV, and another one inside the closet going to the Bose sound system. On the downside the keyboard seems to work best when level or angled up, when angled down I get poor signal and irradic behavior. Has an auto sleep battery saving feature (I haven't changed the batteries yet in 6+ months) Just press any key several times to wake.
#MAC MINI HTPC KEYBOARD MAC#
After studying some resolution test images I put together in photoshop, I felt one could not really tell the difference on this size screen between the two resolutions at a distance over 6ft.
#MAC MINI HTPC KEYBOARD 1080P#
Originally I was using the panel's ability to do 1080p (which it handles fine and looks great) but after some experimenting, I now have it set to the 1360x768 resolution. The mini is connected to the screen via DVI. View of one stage of progress in the closet Even so, the temps can get a little warm on the warmer days here. Luckily the door already had top and bottom screen panels for ventilation (we live near the coast and these were probably originally put in to help prevent mildew in linens). The closet also holds cable modem, WIFI router, VOIP box, cordless phone base, and various chargers (camcorder, NIMH batteries etc). For me one of the primary advantages to the closet is that there is no reason everything has to be kept neat and tidy, so as I need to muck around and change wires, I don't have to reroute and rewrap everything. Unfortunately it is on the same circuit as our fridge and microwave, but so far we have only tripped the breaker a couple times. The closet had no power, but there was an outlet on the wall and I cut a hole and was able to run a powerstrip cable through.
#MAC MINI HTPC KEYBOARD TV#
I was lucky in that there is a small closet located directly behind the wall where the TV would be. There was also limited budget so I was always looking for the lower dollar option.
I did not feel a need to integrate a tuner, and we have no cable TV anymore - this is strictly an IP based setup. We would mainly use this for watching shows and movies from the Internet (iTunes, etc) and DVD rentals. I was willing to trade some ease of use for some sophisticated features.
#MAC MINI HTPC KEYBOARD CODE#
I started out trying to find software that did what I wanted, but ended up crafting my own highly custom code (detailed later).
I've been waiting until the system has sort of remained stable and in use for a while before documenting it for the fellow geeks out there. For some time I've wanted to setup a Mac Mini based HTPC.