Have been really busy recently with a couple of clients and Almerimar Life, but in the midst of it all decided to add the 32″ Samsung as a third screen to the Mac Pro and get Sands a new flat screen.
Plan was to use it as media display (IM, MigliaTV, Twhirl etc), and also hook it up to the old Desktop PC, and the Wii and hopefully satellite.
Well after a day of disruption nothing really worked!!! I got the display to work with the Mac Pro but it kept freezing, the satellite signal didn’t pick up through the antenna, the VGA cable didn’t work with the PC and for some reason I couldn’t get the Wii to work either.
Plan B then …….
Investigation today seems to indicate a loose Video card in the MP as at the moment I am testing out the 3rd display on an old 17″ Sony screen and it has been good so far. Crashed earlier, but that was before I tightened the board.
Current thoughts are that I will get a 3rd 23″ Screen for my set up, and watch TV throught MigliaV (when I can get the sound to work!!!!). Will then put the Samsung back in Sands room, but in a different position with the Wii, PS2, AppleTV and Sky box attached.
Need to think a bit more, although I currently have the Apple store open and a 23″selected!!! but need to get it done soon as a) busy and b) Mac is here in three weeks which is exciting!!!! Must have it all done by the time he arrives. Oh yes, I think I am going to finally ditch the old Vaio and go PC free 100% finally.
No worries Chris, I’ll be more than happy to help with the setup 🙂
Am sure will find more than enough for you to do!!!! Hopefully though will have got all this sorted out long before you arrive, as the apartment is a mess at the moment to say the least!!!!!
I wish someone would give us a definitive ideal setup for multimedia. Is it the mac mini or the apple tv? Would an imac work as well as either of them? aargh!
I think the ideal setup of multimedia is in the eye of the beholder. Everyone has they’re own idea what they want the setup to do. Mac mini has it’s own advantages over apple tv, and vice versa. iMac is another different setup. Maybe if you said what you really want to do, then it would be easier to say which one would work better. 🙂
In my view the AppleTV can only ever be part of a solution as it has no OS to power it! If you have content in one room and want to view it in another room then it is a great way of doing it.
My ‘main’ media set up is still the Mac mini. I have one hooked up to the TV in the lounge, and connected to the Mac mini I have 1TB of external storage that has nothing but movies and TV shows on. I use Front Row to view all the movies and TV shows that I have recorded and want to watch.
To get the content onto the Mac mini I use a TVMax connected to the Sky+ box. Works perfectly for me. The AppleTV is used to allow me to watch the content in another room on another TV without having to duplicate storage (although I tend to keep a selection of movies on it at all times)
As for an iMac ……. I have set up a few as part of a media centre and to be honest that are great in big kitchens for the family to watch rather than actually talk to each other but that is about it 🙂
Bit of a re think over the weekend!! On the basis that I want to:
a) spend less time at the Mac and more time capturing and creating content,
b) spend more time on other interests and activities
I have decided to stick with the 2 screens on the MP (to be honest 2 has to be more than enough!). I have also removed the TV from my study as I need to spend less time at the desk (leg cramps) so the new focus is not so much on multi-tasking but on single tasking i.e. if I want to watch sport then go and watch the sport, don’t 1/2 watch it while trying to do something else.
So that has saved some money …….. for now anyway!!!!
Just read your last comment Chris and flip – was looking forward to your third screen commentary 🙂
I am tempted myself, however unclear if an iMac can accommodate it. Having been a lot more productive since I got 2 screens I can see situations where the third would be usable. Especially in project management situations.
keith
iMac will only support dual screen as it only has the one video card. The Mac Pro will accommodate more video cards so for each video card you get 2 screen capability.
A third would be great, but realistically only really useful in a few specific instances for me, so have avoided temptation ……… for now. I have a second video card installed so is always going to be a option 🙂