Make Your Own Mac Media Center

Back in the fall of 2005, Steve Jobs demonstrated a brand-new iMac with a couple of features that had home entertainment center-type folks sit up and take notice: the Apple Remote and FrontRow software. The combination made it easy to turn an iMac into something resembling a media PC. But what if you don’t want to buy a new iMac just to listen to iTunes on your home stereo or watch a DVD from the same device? With a little ingenuity and a spare Mac, you don’t have to.

One caveat before you start work—if you’re looking to record some TV shows and play a couple of DVD movies, you might be better off buying a DVR and a DVD player. On the other hand, if you have a mini or PowerBook (or some other Mac that can do video and audio out) just sitting around and you have that make-it-work spirit, why not go for it? If you have a Mac capable of DVD playback and video output, you already have the makings for a basic system.

How It Works
Putting a Mac at the center of a media system isn’t rocket science. Basically, you’ll be connecting your Mac’s video and audio outputs to a television and a stereo or home entertainment receiver (advanced points for bringing video and audio back in to your Mac).

If you have a stray Mac kicking around, you can form the basics of a media center by simply setting your Mac close to a home entertainment receiver or stereo, and buying a few cables. But, if you have the time and the drive, you can make your Mac the heart of a killer home entertainment center.

By Emory Christensen.
Article is provided courtesy of Peachpit Press.