This project is also known as the media center on the cheap, and it was started because of jealousy towards anyone who has a nifty Mac mini media center, or has pre-ordered an AppleTV. But after a couple of days working on it, it’s up and running except for an issue that’s yet to be fixed. Full explanation after the jump.
The Mac. I had a spare, first-gen, 12-inch PowerBook around the house — that’s the machine I’ve chosen. Its specs aren’t anything extraordinary: 867MHz G4 processor, 640MB of RAM, 40GB HD, Combo-Drive, an nVidia GeForce 4 graphics chip, built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth. Still, I thought it could be up to this task.
Preparation. I did a clean install of the basic Mac OS 10.4 — no printer drivers, no language packs, nothing but the basic stuff. I then proceeded to install only the iPhoto part of the iLife ’06 suite, and also downloaded iTunes 7.
Extra software. Thanks to the Front Row Enabler, I did exactly that — I installed Front Row in the 12-inch PowerBook. It looks and runs amazingly good. And there’s something just cool of looking at Front Row’s interface on a computer that small. But even though Front Row may run, there’s still the lack of an Apple Remote. So I improvised and installed Darwiin Remote for using a Wii remote on the Mac, which works perfectly on Front Row!
Setup. Since the first-gen PowerBooks didn’t have mini-DVI (for HDTVs), but mini-VGA instead, I connected it to the TV via an S-Video cable. The definition is that of a normal TV, but it’s enough for Front Row — and all iTunes videos are displayed in their native definition (so they’re not badly upscaled). The computer’s been removed of its battery and is constantly plugged in a well-ventilated area.
An issue. Something that I’ve yet to find a solution for is Front Row’s (and iTunes’) inability to stream content from other computers (when it should do so!). I don’t know why, but I suspect it has something to do with the computer itself, because all other computers in the house are able to perfectly stream and receive content. Another alternative I’m exploring is to add an external HD so that the content is stored locally in the computer.
Conclusion. My cheap media center is working as good as it can be expected from it — I’m already accessing all the media stored in it from the comfort of my sofa thanks to a Wii remote. If you’re interested in working on a similar project, consider viewing a previous post explaining the basics of a media center Mac right here.
Do you have a cool Mac media center setup?
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[tags]Apple,Mac,iTunes,Software,Media Center[/tags]
by Dirk
16 Feb 2007 at 07:22
…goes to show again what minimal system requirements OSX puts on a machine to be fully functional…
Wouldn’t want to try to get the ‘magnificent’ Windows Media Center running on these specs…
Cool idea!
by fcodc
16 Feb 2007 at 17:00
Good point. I have Front Row running on a sub 1GHz notebook — can you do that with Windows Vista’s media center?
by Ashish Mohta
16 Feb 2007 at 23:57
apple rocks man…..if somebody can write for vista it will cool
by cb123
27 Mar 2007 at 16:04
what id you dont have a Wii? Is there any other good remotes out there?
by Frank
27 Mar 2007 at 17:53
In my case, I used the Wii remote as it was the only one laying around that was somehow compatible with the PowerBook. But there are plenty of options that are even compatible with Front Row — this Keyspan remote being one of the best.
by Ron
14 Jul 2007 at 16:44
Are you having any issues with iPhoto? I have EXACTLY the same setup, but find that iPhoto comes up with the message ‘iPhoto is not responding’ whenever I navigate to Photos within Front Row. Anybody else get this? I’m using Salling Clicker to navigate the menu — and all other things are working REALLY well.
Ron
by Frank
14 Jul 2007 at 18:07
Ron:
I’ve had no problems with iPhoto, so far. However, I haven’t been able to fix the ability to stream content from other Macs. Are you able to do that?
Right now I’m experimenting with having the iPhone as the remote. If I’m not pleased, I’ll revert to the handy Wiimote.
by Michael Kennedy
02 Jan 2010 at 08:58
Just set up a similar system, installing Mac OS Leopard and Front row and works well. I am able to stream from my macbook pro using the new itunes home sharing and that works well. Also able to share photos in iphoto from macbook pro.
For a remote I’ve used Remote Buddy and that works really well especially using the ajax remote on an iphone. As well as the Apple remote on the iphone to connect to all the itunes on my wifes Windows PC.
I connected the powerbook to my HDTV using a VGA connector at 1024 x 768 resolution and all is good. Only issue I have is a dotted line that appears to the right of album art in Front row which is a bit annoying. All in all it all seems to be working remarkedly well.
I have the added benefit of connecting a wired keyboard and been able to browse the internet on my large screen TV.