AppleTV a decent alternative to a MacMINI?

[spacescape]

I'd like to get streaming video to my 32" HDTV. I'm thinking an MacMINI would be a great solution when my pockets are deeper... However, wondering if the AppleTV is even a candidate for streaming from netflix, iTunes (I know this will work) and hulu.com... As a long term solution I'd like to rip my DVD collection (don't worry... I'll keep the originals in a box in the attic to keep the movie industry happier... not happy... just slightly.) to something like a drobo.

I guess a good "temp" solution would be to hook up my MacBook pro to "give it a try" huh?

Any other way to stream video to my TV w/o an AppleTV or a MacMINI that works decent?

[deckeda]

Lots of people like Popcorn Hour http://www.popcornhour.com/onlinestore/ but it, AppleTV and a computer all have different strengths and weaknesses.

Start with your MBP, since you already have it, and see where that takes you.

[richorlin]

A hacked AppleTV would do everything you want except for Netflix. It would be a lightweight solution but it is do-able. Now that the refurb ATVs are only $150, at one third the cost of a refurb Mini, you've got a viable alternative.
Plus you have ease-of-use compared to the Mini. Unless you want to use FrontRow exclusively, there's a lot of fiddling around you have to do to get things working on the Mini. I have an ATV and have been considering moving to a Mini, but must consider the "wife-factor". Easy menus on the ATV is a plus. Easy menus on the Mini and you just have an overpriced AppleTV.

[Ombligo]

I'm in the process of going to a Mini for exactly the hookup you described.

One major reason for bypassing AppleTV is I don't like to jailbrake stuff. Every upgrade can be a potential nightmare. The mini just gives me a great deal more versatility. I can run any program, I can surf the web, download bittorrent; I can hook up an external drive, etc.. The outside drive was important too, I have a dual 1TB raid drive plugged in with FW800. My itunes and video library reside there. If a drive goes bad, I have everything backed up (100+ movies).

You will need a keyboard and mouse though. I went with a DiNovo Mini - all of 6 inches across and perfect for a HTPC.

The mini costs more, but I really like the versatility. If only it had better audio out capability.

[rz]

Western Digital has a $99 device that does much of the same stuff, just without the hard drive. It has 2 USB ports to hook up any USB drive. Out of the box, it plays more types of video than an aTV, but supposedly it's very easy to install Boxee/XBMC on the aTV, which lets it play other formats. The biggest advantage of the WD TV over the aTV is that it plays 1080p, whereas the aTV is limited to 720p.

I've been comparing the three (WDTV, aTV, and popcorn hour) recently and am leaning toward the aTV. If my home theater setup had an HDMI-in, I'd probably opt for the WDTV. The reason is that, other than HDMI-out, the only other audio-out on the WDTV is an RCA jack. So the best I could do for audio is simple stereo. My home theater does have an optical-in, so I should be able to get 5.1 sound from the aTV. Since my TV is 720p, the 1080p output of the WDTV is not a factor for me.

Popcorn hour didn't make the cut for me because of both price, and reviews I've read that say the interface is really bad.

[bazookaman]

I don't think the western digital device has a network connection. Which is a deal breaker for me since i stream all my movies and stuff from my macpro.

[Wags]

deckeda wrote:
Lots of people like Popcorn Hour http://www.popcornhour.com/onlinestore/ but it, AppleTV and a computer all have different strengths and weaknesses.

Start with your MBP, since you already have it, and see where that takes you.

Agreed. I started out streaming Hulu and the various networks from an 07 Macbook and it worked great. A few months ago I replaced that with a Mac Mini. Its nice to have the versatility of a full computer, even though you'll end up spending more money. The mini will hold its value better than a hacked AppleTV and can be used in many more situations. Since they just refreshed the mini line there will be some nice units showing up at the refurb store.

[illustratton]

bazookaman wrote:
I don't think the western digital device has a network connection. Which is a deal breaker for me since i stream all my movies and stuff from my macpro.

But the new WDTV Live does network (wired) or you can add a wireless adaptor. List $150 - $120. most everywhere +plus wireless.

[bazookaman]

illustratton wrote:
But the new WDTV Live does network (wired) or you can add a wireless adaptor. List $150 - $120. most everywhere +plus wireless.

But after reading more about it, I like it very much.

[Forrest]

I own a 2007 Core2Duo Mini and a hacked AppleTV. While the AppleTV will do Hulu - Hulu changes their system every few weeks to break this feature. When Hulu is working, performance is only average on standard definition material. Netflix not possible on the AppleTV. Keep in mind the AppleTV only has a 1 GHz Pentium, 256 MB RAM and OSX 10.4.x - so you can see why it won't do Hulu (Flash) in HD resolutions.

The Core2Duo mini is a much more capable machine that runs Hulu Desktop very well at high resolution.