[atandon]

Folks,
Just thought I'll share my experience setting up XBMC on my new mini (2.5 i5 with AMD GPU).

Got a kernel panic after rebooting the mini after installing all the software updates. Not a good start

All my mkvs (except one) played just fine with hardware decoding turned on. I was expecting the worst after reading the numerous threads in different forums

Was also concerned about the reports regarding heat. But looks like when the system is in steady state, the temp ranges between 50 and 60 degrees celsius. It goes as high as 85 when the cpu is crunching (say updating the library). While playing a full 1080p HD movie, it hovers around 75.
The mini didn't feel that hot to the touch (compared with my gen 1 apple tv or i7 imac)

While navigating the xbmc menu, whenever i press the up or down buttons on the apple remote, the mac's volume display pops up. Read some other threads where people suggested this is a 10.7.2 thing. Keeping fingers crossed that this gets fixed

[Tiff_Needle]

Hi there...

I'm really considering the new mac mini but these news of not working properly with XBMC and also that by default it comes with Lion OSx that doesn't support integer mode playback (link with my external DAC) starts to bug me.

I don't know if I should buy a new mac mini or search over ebay for a 2010 macmini!

Any news regarding the supposed limitations of the 2011 mini?

The idea is to use the mini only for media rendering purpose, either for VDO with XBMC (remote app on iPAD) or music with Amarra/Pure Music.

[swissfraser]

I've a core i7 mac mini with a daft 8gb of ram and couldnt believe that it was unable to play video without stuttering. Seriously, a ludicrous amout of power and playing movies was beyond it?

I did 2 things:

1. Made sure my display refresh rate (40" samsung) was at 60Hz. For whatever reason, 50Hz doesnt cut it.

2. Installed the nightly build from tuesday.

Joy, bliss and order restored in the universe. Thanks to Davilla and the rest of the team for yet more excellent work.

[Ned Scott]

Found some very interesting info from Apple's support forums. Other people having video issues have found a temp fix by not using the built-in HDMI port, but instead using a MiniDisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/324...5&tstart=0

[prophetizer]

that doesn't really have to do with our video hardware acceleration issues, and they all say it's related to itunes specifically

[Ned Scott]

that doesn't really have to do with our video hardware acceleration issues, and they all say it's related to itunes specifically

Itunes uses hardware acceleration for playback, and that kind of behavior suggest that Mac OS X is doing something different for one port over the other (which is likely a bug). If anyone has a miniDP-to-HDMI adapter around, it would be worth giving a shot.

[prophetizer]

i'm always had that exact issue, with different macs and windows with itunes playing video. as they say many times in that thread, they can play it with other video players no problem

[AbMagFab]

Is there any way to get HD audio over HDMI from the new Mac Mini? Either bitstream or LPCM?

Thanks in advance!

[Ned Scott]

i'm always had that exact issue, with different macs and windows with itunes playing video. as they say many times in that thread, they can play it with other video players no problem

Those other video players might not be using hardware decoding when they tried them. The QuickTime framework that powers iTunes will try to use hardware decoding whenever possible.

And no, you have not had that exact issue. The users reporting this problem are only having it on the HDMI output of the 2011 Mac Mini. Not on other Macs, or PCs running iTunes. They are specifically saying that video playback is fine when you use the minidisplayport. The Mac Mini is the only mac with a built-in HDMI port. How you think PCs would factor into this, I don't know. You must be having some other similar issue with iTunes, but it sure as heck isn't the same issue.

Whatever your experience, this still points to different video playback performance for different ports. If you are so quick to write off something like this, then you will have a hard time in the world of troubleshooting.

[prophetizer]

Those other video players might not be using hardware decoding when they tried them. The QuickTime framework that powers iTunes will try to use hardware decoding whenever possible.

And no, you have not had that exact issue. The users reporting this problem are only having it on the HDMI output of the 2011 Mac Mini. Not on other Macs, or PCs running iTunes. They are specifically saying that video playback is fine when you use the minidisplayport. The Mac Mini is the only mac with a built-in HDMI port. How you think PCs would factor into this, I don't know. You must be having some other similar issue with iTunes, but it sure as heck isn't the same issue.

Whatever your experience, this still points to different video playback performance for different ports. If you are so quick to write off something like this, then you will have a hard time in the world of troubleshooting.

well, thats true, i was merely pointing out they were specifically talking about itunes video playback, so i shared my experience with that. no biggie i guess, we're both right

[prophetizer]

Is there any way to get HD audio over HDMI from the new Mac Mini? Either bitstream or LPCM?

Thanks in advance!

only with the audio engine branch running on windows, i have a boot camp setup just for this

[activate]

Dark forces are tempting me to switch from xbmc on atv2 to the mini
Re the most appropriate choice between the i5/i7 models... Have noted the issues so far mentioned in the thread.

My main purpose of moving from the atv2 is to be able to use xbmc more extensively (heavier skins, video codec support etc.). Whilst playing a 1080p file in xbmc (external volume attached via usb) I would like to have the ability to simultaneously:

1. Use eyetv hd streaming. (for those unfamiliar with it, hd tv channels require decoding on the computer before streaming to e.g. an iPad. This process usually shows up at 30% cpu on an intelduocore 2.0 ghz iMac) OR
2. Have Serve2me/Airvideo running and streaming.

Would either/both of the models be able to support the above requirements.

3. One of the configuration options of the minis is a SSD, though a costly one. I think its a 256g at a lot of $. Would this improve XBMC's standalone performance and in the setup as described above.

4. Haven't looked into this functionality but I wonder if in dev progress is voice recognition interface with xbmc using native or dragon or even siri when/if it gets across....

Thanks guys

[hyerstay]

I currently have a pair of ATV2 units, and was streaming from a NAS with 2TB of storage. However, Irene killed my stereo and my NAS. One ATV2 was underwater and survived, and my drives survived, but the data was unrecoverable. So all the time I spent ripping all my DVDs was wasted, and I will have to do it again.

I've been in the market for a new Mac for a while, and since I have to re-rip everything, that influenced my decision on a Mini. I was considering the top consumer model with the nice graphics card and support for more frame rates, but I decided that the server model was the best value. I paid the extra $100 and got the 2.0 Quad Core with 2 x 750GB drives. For me, the extra storage was cheaper to add on the server model, and I wouldn't have to pay for a drive kit for two drives, which I would have had to do if I got the single drive consumer model and added a second drive later. The quad core will make a difference for Handbrake, and I've got a lot of re-ripping to go.

I thought a lot about the frame rate options for blu-ray rips, but I don't think my TV does 24p anyway, so I could live with the internal graphics. However, I found a solution should I ever want support for ALL possible video frame rates, and this would work for any Thunderbolt Mac.

$299 - Blackmagic Intensity Extreme:

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/

$995 - Blackmagic UltraStudio 3D:

http://www.blackmagic-design.com/product...astudio3d/

I could add either of those units in the future and support every frame rate, plus a bunch of editing related stuff if I ever need it for the video stuff I am doing with my GoPro (mostly sailboat racing video). The UltraStudio even has a breakout box for audio in and out with XLR, so I could hook up my studio monitors with a nice connection.

There will be other solutions in the future with PCIe Thunderbolt enclosures coming from Sonnet and others, so you could throw in any video card:

http://sonnettech.com/product/thunderbolt/index.html

I'm very happy with my Mac Mini Server, and I will probably use it as the AFP server my my AppleTVs with a four bay RAID that I am putting 4x2TB drives in. I almost bought a Promise Pegasus RAID, but I found some good-priced drives to match my existing 2TB drives. The Thai flooding HD prices are really making those Promise Pegasus RAIDS look like really good values.

Cheers,

jason

[activate]

Sorry to hear about Irene.

Thanks for the solutions and the links. I think many in the market for mini are tossing up between these models. Do you mind explaining the advantage of getting the extra storage in your mini server config considering that your content will be on the raid.

I have been tipping towards the server model especially because I have a dual aim; to set it up as an xbmc machine and also perform serveresque functions such as streaming (+ on the fly decoding) the local content as a nas to peripherals like the ipad2. Some of the info I came across suggests that a quad core machine doesn't suddenly make the machine twice as quick. It is only an advantage if your apps utilise multicores. I think Handbrake is a good example of one.

However, I am assuming that if you are multitasking with cpu intensive apps, that a quad core must be an advantage irrespective of the type of apps ?

[hyerstay]

My choice was based primarily on the CPU, and I knew I would get the most benefit from the quad core in apps like handbrake. This will also be my primary home computer, so I would be using it for more than just media. Once I found those Blackmagic devices, I knew that I could always upgrade the graphics later.

As for storage, I have two different 2.5 inch RAID units, so I like to buy drives in matched pairs. Since it only cost an extra $100 to go from 2 x 500GB to 2 x 750GB 7200 RPM, it would max out the performance in one of my 2.5 RAIDs if I ever swap the drives out of the mini. Upping the storage on the consumer mini was a lot more expensive, to the point that it wouldn't even be worth it doing it thru the Apple CTO options. If I didn't do it thru Apple, I would have to pay for a secondary drive kit, besides the cost of another drive.

I like to have more than just my media RAID for storage, so it is nice to have other drives around to move data around or be scratch drives for ripping or video editing, plus system backup (usually one clone and one Time Machine volume).

I'm a professional Mac-focused consultant, so I spend a lot of time running servers already, so this machine would also let me try out some server stuff that I can't try on my customer's servers. I know I could add Lion server later, so that wasn't much of a factor.

I paired the machine with an Asus VE248Q, which is one of the few monitors that has both DisplayPort and HDMI. The whole VExx8Q line has DisplayPort, plus 2ms gray-to-gray response. I got a Kanex Mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable, so I can still string a long HDMI cable to a TV if it is near enough, for any content I can't do with the AppleTVs, or I can use my Xbox at my desk without disconnecting the Mac.

For a RAID, I picked this:

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-driv...D/Desktop/

I got it as an open-box unit with a big discount, and miraculously found two 2TB drives thru Amazon that matched my existing two 2TB drives and didn't seem to be at super-inflated post-Thai-flooding prices. They were only slightly more expensive than pre-flood. If I hadn't have found those deals, I might have bought a Pegasus RAID.

Cheers,

jason