So I've just upgraded the heart of my home entertainment centre with a shiny new Mac mini. I've had a Mac mini hooked up to my living room TV as an HTPC for a couple of years now, but the hardware has struggled a bit to cope with the load. Not any more :) My main media server is now purring along very nicely indeed, serving out music and video from a whole range of sources out around the house and beyond, courtesy of a few handy iPhone apps.
I've explained to a few people what software & hardware I run on my HTPC and in other places around the house, but I figured I'd get it written up in a blog over the next few weeks (or maybe months!). I plan to write up my experiences so far after a couple of years experimenting with different bits of kit, what has worked, what really hasn't, and hopefully figure out what to do next... well, I do now have an old Mac mini lying around doing nothing after all :)
My goal is always to put together a system so slick, so simple and user-friendly, that partners, family members and visitors can use it without a 30 minute presentation and a lot of hand-holding. My litmus test for any new piece of function I build in is the reaction I get from my GF: boredom and confusion are a miss, and while excitement is perhaps a bit of a stretch, mild interest and actually using the system herself are the seals of approval I go for. I'd love to hear about other peoples experiences with this stuff as I'm always on the lookout for adding new toys.
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Media nirvana is always just one piece of kit away
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