Slick Home Theater Uses MacBook as Digital Library

We personally only watch TV through the Mac Mini plugged into our flat screen. It's seriously the best way to watch anything. No cable bills, no limits to what the networks are airing right now, it's magical. Sébastien Robert has the same idea...

media center plex from macgeek13 on Vimeo.

The French Mac nerd set up his home media center to run via his Macbook pro, connected to a Philips LCD sitting on a ~~sweet red lacquered console that is similar to the Besta from Ikea~~ Fly Furniture's SPACE cabinet unit. Macbook audio goes through a Ampli NAD C315 BEE amp and straight to the Micropod speakers flanking each side of the flat screen.

Sébastien runs the Plex Media Center, an application that lets you create a library with both content that's on your computer, shared libraries, and stuff you want to watch online.

(Images: Sébastien Robert )

Comments (14)

The console in the picture is not the same as the linked-to Ikea item.
I'd like to know what that console actually is, because it appears much nicer than Ikea stuff...

posted by kais on September 1st 2009 at 11:19am
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I agree. I would like to know where that console is really from and the dimensions.

posted by DBX00 on September 1st 2009 at 12:21pm
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Kais and DBX00: looks like the BESTA BURS http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90103758

posted by gregory on September 1st 2009 at 1:49pm
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It's from a French big box furniture store called Fly:

http://www.fly.fr/FR/sejours/bahuts/space/rangement-bas--2-portes-2-tiroirs-blanc-brillant/8-47-10413-77774057-1-77774057.html

posted by dlim on September 1st 2009 at 1:59pm
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So where do you go for most of the content you view?

I stream a bunch through Netflix...but it's limited. Hulu is ok.

What else am I missing?

posted by SwedishChef on September 1st 2009 at 3:15pm
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I would love to do this. What kind of cable do I need to connect my laptop to my tv? Any other devices needed?

posted by kodak on September 1st 2009 at 3:31pm
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We stand corrected, thanks dlim!

posted by gregory on September 1st 2009 at 3:41pm
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TV tuners can be put in laptop; also, media stored on your harddrive - music, pictures, movies [lots of neat legalish tools for this].

posted by Rosey G. on September 1st 2009 at 3:44pm
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Kodak,

to do so means taking the DVI out of your laptop and either into the DVI input on the back of the TV or if you have HDMI, you can get a dongle that'll convert the DVI to HDMI but will not support ALL DVI can support such as the audio.

If your laptop has an HDMI out, you CAN then just get an inexpensive HDMI cable and connect the laptop to the TV and have full A/V support through one single cable.

HTH.

posted by ciddyguy on September 1st 2009 at 3:50pm
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Does anyone know how to order furniture from Fly? The website doesn't seem to take internet orders and a phone number is nowhere to be found...

posted by oscarjennings on September 1st 2009 at 5:38pm
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They say on their website that they deliver to your home, but that inquiries must be made in store. It doesn't look like you can buy online :(

posted by dlim on September 1st 2009 at 11:52pm
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I'm curious about where you are getting the unlimited content through the mac mini.

posted by proper on September 2nd 2009 at 2:00am
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@SwedishChef: www.justintv.com and www.free-tv-video-online.info

Every show you could possibly want. Enjoy.

posted by tuttifrutti on September 2nd 2009 at 12:42pm
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Sympa une vidéo en français! Merci Séb!

Je vais essayer FLEX de suite.

I'm designing wall stickers for FLY. And I'm sorry but the delivery is oly in a shop area I think :( (France/Swiss/Spain)

posted by MadameBidule on September 3rd 2009 at 5:25pm
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