New Mac Mini has 9400M !!!!!

[ruthlessdog]

I work at a university; I will get academic pricing (nice).

What is the preferred setup for Boxee?

Do I need 3GB to 4GB of memory?
Do I need the 2.26 Ghz Intel Chip ($150 extra)
Is the big Hard Drive the way to go or use an external drive

I have a Pioneer Elite Kuro 60" 1080p (Model #PRO-141FD) television, and plenty of HDMI slots. How do I convert DVI from the Mac-Mini to HDMI? The DVI output usually does not have audio, I have normally had to run separate audio line to the set or HD Receiver.

The Pioneer set has a network LAN terminal connection input for Media Center network, but I have never been able to get to work when connected to a computer or router. Any suggestions?

There's a $30 DVI-HDMI adapter from Monster (overpriced) at Best Buy. Then just run an Optical Audio from the Mini. On my Mini, I had to get the cable from Apple because it needs an adapter as wekk. Why are you running right into the Kuro? With such a nice TV, you should have a decent receiver...one that processes HDMI. Run all sources into the receiver and then one HDMI out to the TV...a good receiver will upconvert any SD sources and process all sound obviously. Really you only should have two cables coming from the TV: power and one HDMI.

[davilla]

It's not rocket science.

If Boxee allowed the option of Quicktime playback for certain file types then we'd get the hardware acceleration for free.

C.

Not true. Hardware acceleration is only present in Apple native apps. There is no hardware acceleration available using the current Quicktime API for 3rd party apps.

[eshapin]

Not true. Hardware acceleration is only present in Apple native apps. There is no hardware acceleration available using the current Quicktime API for 3rd party apps.

@Davilla - Not sure what you mean. Are you referring to Apple TV only? Because many 3rd party games and apps utilize the Mac's video chip.

[davilla]

You said hardware acceleration, we are talking video content decode NOT video content display, very different. Yes, quartz/openGL acceleration is available to 3rd party app but not video content decode hardware acceleration.

Believe me, I program this stuff, while quartz/openGL acceleration is there, video content decode hardware acceleration is not.

[selector1]

Not true. Hardware acceleration is only present in Apple native apps. There is no hardware acceleration available using the current Quicktime API for 3rd party apps.

You said hardware acceleration, we are talking video content decode NOT video content display, very different. Yes, quartz/openGL acceleration is available to 3rd party app but not video content decode hardware acceleration.

This is all so interesting...
Is this just a matter of Apple keeping things locked down as usual?

Cheers to the boxee crew for doing what they can with the scraps available!

[Carniphage]

Not true. Hardware acceleration is only present in Apple native apps. There is no hardware acceleration available using the current Quicktime API for 3rd party apps.

Davilla,

I am confused / amazed by your post.

Prior to Boxee, there were (and still are) a number of plug-ins (frapliances) for the AppleTV - which allowed the playing of media files on AppleTV via Quicktime.

My favorite was ATVFiles by Eric. Which is now open source. ATVFiles uses Quicktime to play 720p MP4 content perfectly. ATVFiles will play files without stalling, or frame-drops. The exact same files will not play properly with Boxee.

Quicktime is a media-playing API. You point it at a file and say "play this" - Are you really suggesting that if you ask Quicktime to play an MP4 - that Quicktime will somehow disable hardware acceleration?

You can download the source. Compile it - and see how AppleTV files will happily play back high bitrate 720p MP4s.

C.

[davilla]

Yes, this is true. ATVFiles uses the frontrow interface to quicktime, not the quicktime API. That's why it performance is similar to that under frontrow. You need to see if the plugin is using the quicktime api or the frontrow built-in video player. Big difference.

If you take any app that uses the quicktime API, it will not be using any hardware acceleration for decoding. An easy way to see this is with the new nvidia chipset Macs.

The new MacBook for example, playing a .mov file in an app that uses quicktime API vs playing the same .mov in quicktime player. On one of the Apple Movie Trailers, I get about 100-120 percent cpu, in quicktime player 26 percent cpu. That's quicktime player using partial hardware decoding. If it was full hardware decoding it would be similar to Linux/VDPAU and cpu percent would be more like 5-10 percent.

[subvertbeats]

I'm not buying one until it has HDMI and you can actually get HD movies from iTunes w/out the ATV. Otherwise why bother? And with Netflix 'Watch Instantly' in Boxee...

By the way...unless you're ripping 50GB BluRays you're not 'Boxeeing' 1080P anyhow. Save your cash...the current Mini does everything you need. Put the money in decent speakers and a decent receiver and you'll get way more for your money. A decent BluRay player and a good HT setup can't be beat for true Audio/Videophile content.

I second this recommendation.

[Carniphage]

Yes, this is true. ATVFiles uses the frontrow interface to quicktime, not the quicktime API. That's why it performance is similar to that under frontrow. You need to see if the plugin is using the quicktime api or the frontrow built-in video player. Big difference.

I find that surprising - so the next obvious question is:

Why does boxee not offer the option to play content in the same way as ATVFiles? At least as an option?

C.

[whodean]

I find that surprising - so the next obvious question is:

Why does boxee not offer the option to play content in the same way as ATVFiles? At least as an option?

C.

Very good question.