On Apr 21, 2005, at 11:42 PM, Marta Edie wondered:

> If I get a mac-mini ( the  TV screen is also a Computer monitor) and 
> attach that, is it possible to also play the TV picture on the 
> monitor, when set into that mode?  so that I could make a DVD of 
> certain programs(  I would get the mac-mini with a superdrive.) - 
> Otherwise I would probably need a DVD recorder . I do have a DVR box, 
> but do not know whether I would be able to play a TV recording on the 
> screen  set into the monitor mode

In order to do what you want with the mini, you'll need a video source 
that the mini can capture--something like an EyeTV. I'm not familiar 
with the EyeTV software, but it probably lets you save its files to 
DVD.

The mini is weak in a few areas for use as a PVR.

o The hard drive is too small for serious recording. My MythTV setup 
isn't recording HDTV, but still a 200 GB drive is turning out to be too 
small for the family. We can get more than 100 hours of stuff on it at 
one time, but it's surprising how fast that gets eaten up when four 
people are all grabbing their favorites and certain people don't want 
to erase programs even though they've been watched. My next project 
will be to slap together a server with lots of drive space and stick it 
in the basement.

o It has no video inputs, which means there's no elegant way to handle 
TV without lots of wires and complicated hookups.

o Apple apparently isn't letting outside developers know the secret of 
how to do MPEG2, MPEG4, DivX, 3ivX... video formats smoothly in high 
definition.

o I doesn't have built-in high quality audio outputs.



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