Plex + Mac =

[Kenneth Watt <kwatt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well, I'm not quite sure yet as I only got it fired up tonight.

However the ingredients are as follows...

One new style Mac Mini
Digital out toslink thingy
DVI to HDMI convertor
Plex (free)
Elgato TV tuner thingy
Logitech DiNovo Mini

Bill =3D =A3700

Results... oh yes, there's results.

I have an HTPC, in comparison to a Doze box, the size of a postage=20=20
stamp.

It runs Slimserver in the background no problem at all. It streams=20=20
internet radio. It plays movies, music and a host of other stuff I've=20=20
yet to explore.

Picture quality is easily equal to or better than Vista MCE on a=20=20
decent machine.

Sound quality is, again, easily equal to MCE.

But just to annoy some Irish dude that's on here every now and then,=20=20
here's the bad news...

DiNovo Mini is a bit of a PITA, it's fiddly to use but it does work=20=20
and is extremely neat and very cool. Connects as Mark said no problem=20=20
to the Mac but I still can't work out where the CMD key is.

Elgato software is a bit pants though from what I've seen of it.=20=20
Integration with Plex is, IMO, essential. IR is just crap to it, if=20=20
you catch the right angle when the light shines a certain way and you=20=20
cross your fingers at just the right angle, it'll work. Don't and, it=20=20
won't.

Plex is good but, in some areas, totally non-newbie friendly although=20=20
the results when you mess with it can be very good indeed. Looks=20=20
gorgeous out the traps however.

Plex has *SO* much potential to be more, it could easily (I think)=20=20
surpass MCE it's unreal, but it really needs some dumbing down in
some=20=20
ways and features added in others. I'd say it was written by geeks
for=20=20
geeks the way it is but, it is trying really hard to be better.

HD rips have proved no problem from the limited amount of material I=20=20
tried. DVD rips are fine as well but I had to play the VOB/IFO files=20=20
to get it to work. This is fine if you're a bit geeky and understand=20=20
the file structure of a DVD, not so good if you don't. For example,
my=20=20
better half would look at it blankly and wonder where the disc was,=20=20
that's not good.

Like Phil I don't get the whole Movies, Videos thing, it just doesn't=20=20
make sense to normal humans. They're the same damn thing, get over it=20=20
already.

TV shows, well if I could record any I'd be happy. But I can't at=20=20
present, so that's pretty much meaningless.

Music, Plex borks when you have lots and, lots of music. ;)

To be fair it's a first run at it, I've yet to have time to explore
it=20=20
fully, understand it better and use it better.

All that said, would I go back to MCE on a Doze box?

Probably not.

K.

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