Mar 4, 2009 10:44 AM | 6 Comments

There's no Blu-ray, TV tuners or HDMI but, with extra NVIDIA graphics grunt in Apple's new Mac Mini, Adam Turner has new hope that the Mini might make the ultimate media centre.

It's roughly 18 months since Apple refreshed the Mac Mini - which is more than two lifetimes in the Apple universe. Many people had given up hope of ever seeing a new Mac Mini and wondered why Apple didn't just put it out of its misery.

The new Mini - it's all about the graphics card
When all seemed lost, Apple has finally delivered the goods - a revamped Mac Mini along with new iMacs. The new Mac Mini has a 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support, 1 or 2GB of RAM and a 120 or 320GB SATA hard drive.

That's all well and good, but there's only one spec that anyone is really interested in - the graphics card. Thankfully Apple has blessed the new Mac Mini with the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics chipset, introduced with the aluminium unibody MacBook family.

Previously the Mac Minis ran the Intel GMA950 graphics processor, while the old G4-based Mac Minis featured an ATI Radeon 9200.

What it means - not gaming, but media performance
Obviously the new NVIDIA GeForce 9400M is nothing to get too excited about if you're a gamer, but if you're a multimedia buff it opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

The old Mac Mini lacks the graphics grunt to be a high-def media centre. It works with with Elgato's EyeTV, if you stick to standard-def and a small television, but when I hooked up an old Mac Mini with EyeTV to my 46 inch Sony Bravia, the high-def free-to-air picture looked woeful when compared to the same program watched on my TiVo.

With some NVIDIA goodness sprinkled under the bonnet, the Mac Mini might finally have the grunt to deliver a decent HD picture and a earn a place in my lounge room.

Unfortunately it only features Mini-DVI and Mini DisplayPort video outputs, so you'll need to pick up some adaptors if you want to connect it to your high-def display. Thankfully the Mac Mini's audio line in and out each support both optical digital and analogue signals.

Where are the TV tuners? Where's Blu-ray?
Of course a lot of people will be disappointed with the new Mac Mini because it's still not the full-blown media centre they were hoping for. Where are the TV tuners? Where's the Blu-ray drive? Where's the HDMI output?

The fact is you'll probably never see Apple release such a device, because Steve Jobs and co. obviously prefer you to buy content from the iTunes store rather than watch TV or discs. As usual the Mac zealots will deem the new Mini to be perfect. If an Apple product lacks a feature you want, you are an idiot for wanting the feature - Apple couldn't possibly be at fault.

So, if you want a Mac-based media centre, you'll need to build your own. With the Mac Mini's new-found graphics grunt, combined with Elgato's EyeTV and an IceTV subscription, the Mini could be the foundations of the mother of all home entertainment devices.

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bbjai Mar 4, 2009 7:58 PM	I agree I will be looking strongly at the mac mini as a option next to my tv. With the super drive it can play my DVD's, stream videos via wireless n, and now finally watch HD TV. Shame about the connectivity options, I don't even know if DVI to HDMI is any good
Adam Turner Mar 5, 2009 12:37 AM	I've found DVI to HDMI to be fine on my Vista Media Centre, the only hassle is you need to carry the audio separately. Thankfully one of my Bravia's HDMI inputs also has an analogue stereo audio input.
bbjai Mar 6, 2009 12:26 AM	I just wish they found a way to stick the HDMI in it. The newest Eee PC has HDMI standard. Mac Mini has potential just making you buy all these adaptors is a bit too much for me at the moment. That plus the ridiculous price due to the exchange rate
Adam Turner Mar 6, 2009 10:18 AM	Actually I think there's a mini-DVI to DVI adaptor in the box, so you'd just need a DVI to HDMI cable (I'm still waiting for my review unit to arrive, bloody couriers)
bbjai Mar 6, 2009 11:35 AM	yep it does. I've seen it in the unboxing over at that macmini website. DVI to HDMI cable adaptor doens't sound so bad. Wouldn't a Mini displayport to DVI to HDMI be better quality wise?
Adam Turner Mar 7, 2009 9:54 AM	I couldn't say without comparing them