Mac mini features the Apple T2 Security Chip — second-generation custom Mac silicon designed by Apple to make Mac mini even more secure. The T2 Security Chip consolidates several controllers into one and includes a Secure Enclave coprocessor that provides the foundation for encrypted storage and secure boot capabilities. Use your TV as a display with Mac. Many televisions can also be used as computer displays. To connect your Mac to your television, you need a video cable that connects your computer’s display port to the video input port on your TV. If you can’t find a cable that connects the ports on your Mac and TV, you may also need an adapter for the cable.
When Apple released a Mac mini that bears an HDMI port on Tuesday, it took mere minutes before people suggested that this new mini was the next-generation Apple TV in disguise. And for some, it may be. We’ll take a deeper look as we have more time to test out the new Mac mini, but here’s a look at some of the areas that separate the two.
Connections
One of the clumsier elements of using a Mac mini as a media center has always been the TV connection. While you can make that connection with a DVI-to-HDMI cable or–with more recent minis–a DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, the results of the operation can be uneven. The images displayed by the mini may exceed the bounds of the TV’s display. You can address this by playing with an Overscan option, but this can lead to black bars around the four sides of the mini’s image. The new mini has the same Underscan slider found in the Displays system preference on the current MacBook Pros, which allows you to scale the mini’s image so it perfectly fits your TV screen. Of course, the Apple TV’s HDMI and component video options have made this type of connection easy from the start.
Advantage: Tie
Physical media
One advantage the mini has over the Apple TV is an optical drive that can play DVDs–however, like all other Macs, it can’t play Blu-ray discs. I know Steve Jobs believes Blu-ray is a “bag of hurt” and that Apple has rapidly moved away from optical discs, but the company’s jumped too soon on this one. Blu-ray has finally caught on now that it’s the single high-def standard for optical discs. Blu-ray players are now within the budget of most people, the price of Blu-ray movies is also dropping, and Netflix has an affordable Blu-ray rental option. Sure, the quality of streaming video is getting better and greater bandwidth will make purchasing, renting, and streaming video even more attractive, but there’s still a large segment of the public that wants to shove a plastic disc into a slot and watch the resulting movie. And, in regard to Blu-ray, this group is waxing rather than waning.
Advantage: Mac mini
Content
Another area where the Mac mini overshadows the Apple TV is in media options. Today’s Apple TV was designed with iTunes and the iTunes Store in mind. Sure, the device lets you look at YouTube videos and Flickr slideshows, but it’s otherwise locked to the contents of iTunes libraries and the iTunes Store. This is convenient if that’s the only kind of media you care to consume, but increasingly people want content from the Web–Hulu, Netflix, and countless Websites that stream video. The Apple TV’s locked-in model hasn’t been a hit with the public. The Mac mini is a Mac, and as such you can use it to play any Web content that OS X can handle, as well as all sorts of file types that iTunes balks at. And the Mac mini’s powerful processor and improved graphics mean full 1080p HD playback–something the Apple TV can only dream of.
Advantage: Mac mini
Navigation
On the navigation front, the Apple TV has a clear advantage. Front Row, Apple’s media interface for the Mac, was an exciting idea–when it was released half a decade ago. The new mini has power to spare to stream content and play and display media. But much of that power requires an operator who knows what he or she is doing. Better would be a version of Front Row that allows you to do all the great things possible with a Web browser–Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Rhapsody, RadioTime–plus play your movies and music from any computer or NAS drive in your home; all without leaving the confines of Front Row. A wireless keyboard and mouse can give you total control over the Mac mini from your couch, but for a media center, simplicity rules.
Advantage: Apple TV
DVR capabilities
Some won’t be satisfied until an Apple TV serves as a digital video recorder a la TiVo. With the mini, you can add a device such as Elgato’s EyeTV HD to turn your Mac into a DVR. The Apple TV offers no such options, and probably never will.Advantage: Mac mini
Price
The 160GB Apple TV costs $229, whereas the new HDMI-enhanced Mac mini starts at $699–that’s a huge difference, and a lot of money for a media center. Price wise, the Mac mini can’t compete if all you’re going to do is hook it up to your TV. If you plan to also use it as a hub for sharing your iTunes library around the house, hosting your Website, or for other uses (and don’t mind that it’ll have to stay within cable distance of your TV) then the price difference becomes a little less severe.
Advantage: Apple TV
Are you wondering what goes on inside Apple’s Mac mini? Perhaps you’ve bought one and want to see what you can do with it?
If so, read on to discover everything you need to know about the Mac mini, from what it is, to how to set it up and tons of different things you can use it for, outside of a regular PC.
What is a Mac mini and what does it do?
The Mac mini is a small desktop computer made by Apple. What makes the Mac mini different from a regular computer is that it’s shipped without an accompanying screen, keyboard or mouse. As Apple likes to say, it’s “BYODKM” (Bring Your Own Display, Keyboard, and Mouse).
The reason behind the Mac mini being shipped solo, is because most of its use cases feature around using it to power up another device, as we’ll discuss in more detail below.
It also makes for more of a flexible purchase. For example, if you already have a screen, or a keyboard and mouse, you can pair these with the Mac mini rather than forking out for new ones. And if you don’t, you can easily purchase them alongside the Mac mini anyway.
The Mac mini has been around since 2005 (launched at the same time as the iPod shuffle) but its design and functionality have changed since then.
The latest 3.6 GHz Mac mini released in 2018 comes in two types of processing speed, the 3.6 GHz Mac mini Core i3 costing about $799 and the 3.0 GHz Mac mini Core i5 costing about $1099.
Connect Mac Mini To Tv
Specification of the Mac mini
Uses for the Mac mini
- Share presentations to screen
- Listen to music through an app like Spotify
- Share photos to a TV screen
- Access emails
- Play games
Benefits of the Mac mini
Some of the key benefits of the Mac mini include:
- The cheapest Mac Apple sells
- Built in apps such as FaceTime, iBooks, Maps, iTunes and Mail
- Multiple ports, making it more akin to a PC than a media device
- Apple quotes that with fourth-generation Intel Core processors, the device is able to “keep up with computers twice its size”
- Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth
- Easy setup for a keyboard, mouse or screen
- The perfect size to use as the centre of a “digital home”
How to set up a Mac mini
Mac Mini Apple Tv Remote
Here’s how to get your Mac mini running, from getting it out of the box to using it for a purchase such as connecting to your home TV.
Before you begin setup some of the questions you may want to consider include:
- What screen will you be connecting to? You’ll need a desktop or a TV screen to get your Mac mini up and running
- How will you connect to the screen? Depending on what screen you’re connecting to you may need a converter lead
- Do you have a Wi-Fi connection? You’ll need this to set up some of the Mac mini features
- How will you control the Mac mini? You’ll likely need either a keyboard and mouse combo or an Apple remote
Once you’ve made your decision and purchased any additional items you need, here’s how to get set up.
- Add power
Plug the power adaptor into your Mac mini and plug the other end into your power outlet. Press the power button on the back of the Mac mini.
2. Attach to your TV or monitor
Connect your Mac mini to your TV or desktop. The Mac mini comes with a HDMI-to-DVI adapter for connecting to a monitor's DVI port, which will allow you to connect to an Apple monitor.
If you want to connect to a TV screen you may need to purchase a mini-displayport-to-VGA adapter which will allow you to connect your Mac mini to a standard analog monitor, projector, or LCD that uses a VGA connector or cable.
3. Connect to Wi-Fi
Once turned on, the setup guide should take you through a few simple steps, including setting up a Wi-Fi connection.
4. Sign in with your Apple id
This will give you access to the App Store and and will link your iCloud account if you wish to connect to your Mail, Photos, Calendar and so on.
5. Begin using your Mac mini
From here, you can begin using your PC or TV screen as a computer, using the desktop to search for apps, open web pages and more.
What can you do with your Mac mini?
Want to ensure you’re getting the most from your Mac mini device? Here are some ideas on how you can use it:
- Access apps on a TV screen
The Mac mini is a great way to take everything you’d usually do on your phone or laptop and access it on your TV screen. This could be sharing photos with a room, opening mail or accessing your documents.
- Use any screen as your computer
The Mac mini is super light, which means you can take it anywhere, plug it into a desktop and you’ll have a powerful computer. This allows you to work from anywhere, or set up shop in any location where there’s a monitor and Wi-Fi available.
- Set up digital signage with the Mac mini
The Mac mini is a great way to turn any screen into a digital sign. This allows you to pre-schedule and setup content to show on your digital screen such as social media feeds, presentations, travel updates, news feeds and more. Read the full guide on setting up digital signage with the Mac mini here.
4. Create a home viewing centre
With the Mac mini and a screen, or desktop, you can create a home viewing centre that allows you to watch movies, surf the internet and listen to music. Via streaming apps such as Netflix, or even through movies you’ve bought on iTunes, you can easily set up movies to play on any screen. You can also use music apps available in the Apple App Store or use Safari to get online.
5. View and share photos
The Mac Mini includes a SDXC card slot so you can simply remove the memory card from your camera and insert it. This allows you to view photos on a monitor, or share them with the room from your TV screen.
Mac mini question buster
Can you use any monitor with a Mac mini?
The Mac mini doesn’t come with a monitor, but you can connect it to one using one of the ports on the back of the device. Using the right adapter, you can connect the Mac Mini to any computer screen with a VGA port. The Mac Mini ships with a HDMI-to-DVI adapter but it’s only really Apple monitors which use DVI, so for a regular monitor you may need a HDMI-to-VGA or mini displayport-to-VGA connector instead.
Mac Mini Apple Tv 4k
How do you turn on a Mac mini?
Simply press the power button on the Mac mini box.
Can you use any keyboard with a Mac mini?
Most keyboards and mouses can be used with the Mac mini by connecting them using the USB port. For Bluetooth devices, connect the USB dongle to the Mac mini using the USB port.
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