HTPC: Mac vs. PC

[anotherhobby]

I messed with trying to get an HTPC dialed in for years, mostly on various Mac minis. Once the modern AppleTV came out, that was game over. The end of fussing around, and it does the job so well, and the interface is dialed in for the job. Now I just run Plex on a Mac mini for local content and stream that from the AppleTV. Best part is you an add them to every TV for relatively cheap. Even up at my cabin, it all works the same, streaming my content from home. I'd never go back to trying to run an HTPC.

 

[Haskil]

Selon vous, qu'est-ce qui fait un meilleur HTPC ? Si je ne me trompe pas, iTunes/Apple Music sur PC est limité à l'audio avec perte alors que sur Mac, vous obtenez un son sans perte et sans perte haute résolution.

I use Mac (a Mini, an Imac and a Macbook pro) and PC (a tower built by me with an Asus motherboard).

I use: iTunes on Mac and PC, Jriver on Mac, Roon on Mac and PC, Audirvana studio on Mac and WMP on PC).

I haven't checked in a while, but streaming iTunes via Airplay at maximum volume in iTunes was just about perfect; it was not possible to use a direct output from the Asus motherboard or a sound card added to the computer. I checked with a DTS CD: at the slightest mistake, a horrible noise erupted from the speakers. In addition, via Airplay you should not touch the volume setting in iTunes which should be at full volume...



But I haven't tried to check again in a long time. I think that Airplay does not go through the Windows sound layer while iTunes read by the physical outputs of Windows goes through the mixer and even set to the same resolution as the file played... because we have no control on iTunes sound outputs in reality.

So I use Mac and PC. To your question I would answer PC.
For what ? Because my three already old Macs (Catalina 12.15.07) but in perfect working order have become very slow because we cannot update their browsers as needed and they no longer receive any updates.. . And that annoys me... Mac is really the specialist in planned obsolescence...

My PC, even older, is certainly stuck on Windows 10, but Windows is still updating and it still runs like a rocket... I don't get angry at the slowness of the other three as soon as they have to go on the internet and therefore sometimes cut the sound when I stream from qobuz...
So the day I change it's PC... because for the rest, it's the same thing...

 

[Haskil]

First off - Don't use iTunes! If I had an Apple Music subscription I still wouldn't use iTunes, it's just gotten that terrible.

I use Itunes, Jriver, Roon, Audirvana, WMP on Mac and PC...
iTunes is by far the best software for quickly and cleanly tagging classical music records that are always a pain to tag.
The first quality is that it learns from its user by memorizing the spelling of the names of composers and performers, which avoids having several different musicians who are only one... It can classify, if you ask him, the files of each disc in a folder classified in the name of the main performer...
And to top it off, it connects to Grace Note which is the best database of classic tags...
I also use Dbpower amp to rip CDs: the metadata which comes back is mediocre and must be taken track by track in iTunes... which is easy... since this software has predictive writing resulting from your own practice of the spelling of proper nouns...

I use Roon which has other qualities but whose metadata from Picard is painfully cumbersome and also translates too many titles of works into English and imposes Anglo-Saxon spellings of musicians' names. So I ask Roon not to give me his metadata overlay...
I'm a music critic, so I receive files from record companies; I have to tag them because they are in Wav and therefore are very very very partially. So I convert them into Alac with DbPower amp or in Itunes and I tag them manually in Itunes which is very fast, reliable and without equivalent in terms of practicality on the market... and I know MP3 tag...

 

[Blumlein 88]

Yeah, I did think of that as well. So, for the purpose of movie and music playback (via Apple Music and playback of MKV files via Infuse), an Apple TV 4K will fulfill the purpose just as well as a Mac?

Well I am pretty sure it will. My brother has an Apple TV 4k. I use a Roku stick. For movies locally, I run Plex on a laptop which is not even in the same room. It works over the Roku stick, and it will work over the Apple TV. I've not used Infuse, but would think it would work too. Everything will be available to you streaming. This is so much nicer than having a dedicated HTPC. Less money, and less hassle.

I believe you can use local files on whatever computer you have by sharing them via the Apple TV app installed on that PC which will find and go to your Apple TV 4k. I've not actually done this, but it should work like this.

 

[DWPress]

I believe you can use local files on whatever computer you have by sharing them via the Apple TV app installed on that PC

This works on the Mac but not sure about PC or Android. If the folders get to large there can be some lag so better if you set them up via a DLNA server. I've used both the free versions of Infuse and Plex and they both work well via their apps on the Apple TV, even VLC app works well on the ATV for odd video file formats.

 

[whataboutmusic]

I think that when we are talking about an HTPC use case is very important because it can lead to other choices.

The most important aspect is if you are going to have mostly local files or you want to use streaming platforms. When streaming things are more simple any laptop can do the job...but someone could have better experience when using the tv's native apps.

In any case the most affordable and vfm solution is an rpi or a very cheap laptop running linux but because not everyone wants to get on with linux I would suggest the best windows laptop you can afford. Mac os are good machines but very limited. In windows for music (local files) foobar 2K is your friend...and it's totally free...as for local files of movies I do not know any good free solution because I prefer streaming. d

Also if you are going to choose mac os be aware that 2018 and 2019 macbooks have a temperature bug and the literally lag all the time. I would avoid them.

I have tried to use my pc's for music and movies and I ended up in the conclusion that it is cheaper and better experience to use each machine for it's purpose...meaning I got a streamer for music and I use the smart TV's apps of netflix or whatever to watch movies.

Hope I helped cheers