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Connecting a Mac Mini to an external audio source...
Hello all,
Being new to the community, I thought I would start myself off with this:
I've got a question regarding methods on connecting a Mac Mini to an external audio source such as a home theater receiver. I've been considering purchasing a Mac Mini as my first Apple computer for use as more of a learning tool than anything else seeing as how my Windows machine is my main work horse. The only thing that's hanging me up on the decision is the sound.
Some theories that I had in mind were to use the Mini DisplayPort to DVI or Mini DisplayPort to VGA to connect it to a display, and use the HDMI port for the audio. This sounds feasible, but seeing as I have absolutely no experience with Apple hardware I'd ask an outside opinion to make sure. I've also seen adapters like these that take the audio port on the back of the computer and convert it into an Optical port, but I'm not too sure how well those would work. I also found a splitter which would probably be my most practical option seeing as my receiver only has one Optical port on it. The other adapter was more for future reference if the computer was ever used with a different system other than my own ect. ect....
At any rate, I was just looking for some clarification on the matter.
Also, what are your opinions on the Mac Mini as a starter Apple computer?
I'm fairly tech savvy, and can hold my own very well on the Windows side of things, but I thought it would be a nice change to expand my knowledge in the computer world.
I'm aware that the hardware is somewhat lacking in the Mac Mini, but like I said, it's mainly going to be a learning tool, not an everyday machine. What are your experiences with the Mac Mini if you own one? Are they reliable machines? Any known issues/major differences that an Apple newcomer should watch out for?
Thanks for any input.
Being new to the community, I thought I would start myself off with this:
I've got a question regarding methods on connecting a Mac Mini to an external audio source such as a home theater receiver. I've been considering purchasing a Mac Mini as my first Apple computer for use as more of a learning tool than anything else seeing as how my Windows machine is my main work horse. The only thing that's hanging me up on the decision is the sound.
Some theories that I had in mind were to use the Mini DisplayPort to DVI or Mini DisplayPort to VGA to connect it to a display, and use the HDMI port for the audio. This sounds feasible, but seeing as I have absolutely no experience with Apple hardware I'd ask an outside opinion to make sure. I've also seen adapters like these that take the audio port on the back of the computer and convert it into an Optical port, but I'm not too sure how well those would work. I also found a splitter which would probably be my most practical option seeing as my receiver only has one Optical port on it. The other adapter was more for future reference if the computer was ever used with a different system other than my own ect. ect....
At any rate, I was just looking for some clarification on the matter.
Also, what are your opinions on the Mac Mini as a starter Apple computer?
I'm fairly tech savvy, and can hold my own very well on the Windows side of things, but I thought it would be a nice change to expand my knowledge in the computer world.
I'm aware that the hardware is somewhat lacking in the Mac Mini, but like I said, it's mainly going to be a learning tool, not an everyday machine. What are your experiences with the Mac Mini if you own one? Are they reliable machines? Any known issues/major differences that an Apple newcomer should watch out for?
Thanks for any input.
Tags: Audio, DVI, Digital, External, HDMI, HTPC, Home, Mac, Mini, Optical, More…
Views: 29
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by iЛенин on -
First of all, welcome to Geeks!
Mac hardware is just the same as any other pc out there. A HDMI port will work perfectly.
Of course they are reliable machines, with really good customer service if something goes wrong.
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Permalink Reply by jamesjimmy23 on -
I have no experience about connecting a Mac mini to a home theater setup but I do know that many people have done it before. There's probably more information about the previous model though and not the new one.
The Mac mini is a great starter Apple computer. The Mac mini has almost the same specs as my 13" MacBook Pro and I haven't had any problems with it! I don't notice any slowdowns or anything, so I'm sure you'll be fine!
One thing, if you're going to use FrontRow you'll want to get an Apple remote, they're about $20.
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Permalink Reply by Gavin Roskamp on -
Not sure about all the special audio stuff, but HDMI would broadcast video and sound if I'm not mistaken. I haven't had much experience with all these new fancy audio and video things like HDMI and such, so I'm not much of a help there.
However, the Mac mini is a fabulous first-time Mac. I have the model two revisions back, a 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo, and it runs fairly well with the 3 GB of RAM I've put in it. Safari likes to run off with a lot of RAM if you keep it open all day and browse a lot of sites. Just quitting it will free up the memory though.
Also, while PC and Mac hardware are the same, Macs have a ton more software control over the hardware, so you might not be able to broadcast the audio through a port intended for mostly video.
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Permalink Reply by Mad Max on -
The mini has optical audio in/out, so if that's an option on your receiver then just slam a TOSLINK cable in there and you should be golden. Otherwise, as others have said, HDMI should do the trick, but I'm not sure the audio fidelity is as good as the dedicated optical option.
Your best bet is to go somewhere they have them on display like an Apple Store to check it out in person. The staff should have a good idea of how to get you up and running too, and if they don't, they always go out of their way to find someone who does (at least in my experience).
Both the HDMI and Mini DisplayPorts carry video and audio too. If you're using Mini DisplayPort be sure to get a revision 1.2 cable, as older revisions don't support audio.
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Permalink Reply by Kast on -
Thanks to everyone for their input. I appreciate the insight.
@A.V. Thanks for the welcome! And, I've dealt with Apple tech support in the past at work, you're right. They really try to resolve an issue instead of giving you 9000 case numbers and leaving you on hold for 6 months while they "consult with Tier 3 tech".
@Michael That link was really helpful. I figured they had something like it somewhere on the net. Thank you!
@Gavin Roskamp "Macs have a ton more software control over the hardware, so you might not be able to broadcast the audio through a port intended for mostly video."
I'll keep that in mind. I know with televisions HDMI usually doesn't have any problems carrying audio. I wasn't aware that Macs had much more control over the hardware than PCs did. I'll check into that. Thanks for the heads up.
@Mad Max I saw that the earlier model of the Mac Mini had an optical port, but I didn't see one on the newer model. If I can manage to locate one of the earlier ones somewhere, that would suit fine as well for my use. Didn't know that Mini DisplayPort carried audio too. Also wasn't aware that there were different versions of it. Thanks for the protip!
I wondered myself about the fidelity of the audio running through HDMI, but that looked to be the only option on the new model aside from a headphone/mic input.
You're right about checking it out in person, but Apple products aren't too common in this area. You've gotta go way out of your way to come across an Apple store, or even a Best Buy that carries Macs. I'll keep on the lookout though.
Thanks again.
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