Hi all,
I am desperately looking for some advice about how and what software to use on a Mac mini as part of home integration.
i am about to purchase a home automation system, not so much as a full home automation yet,but more as universal controller for one room, at this stage with ability to slowly expand and other rooms and functions (lighting, gates, camera...)
i am very confused as to how to do it. I need to control all my av equipment via IR/IP but also most importantly the Mac mini. I just bought it with the hope that it was easy to integrate, but turns out not.
all my equipment is in the garage in a av cabinet. The controller/ must be a hard button remote as I have been using a ipad via roomie remote for the last 6 months and though can t fault the software or hardware, I have come to the conclusion that ipad as a remote is not ideal. Kids run away with it, goes to sleep mode, fingers slip from the screen and press the wrong command, have to watch the ipad whilst executing commands.
I was hoping to run the mini permanently on and have a remote system to control itunes thus using my tv to display and choose what I wanted to listen to, either my music ( loaded under itunes in aiff), radios.... But the apple remote does not do much apart from play and pause. I thought it worked a bit like a Apple TV, where I could navigate the screen, and easily choose what ever suited me, highlight the album....but I can t.
is there a software/media player that I could load onto the Mac mini which would allow me to control and navigate thru my preferences ( either play music, listen to internet radio...)via a remote ( or any IR command from what ever automation I decode to go with).
i then thought about the control4 HC250 controller with thesr250 remote and use my tv as display, use the USB port to load all my music onto a hard driven play from there, but the HC250 will only accept flac as lossless.
please help me, I am totally lost. I beleive savant is the best apple integration, but it cost a fortune here in Australia, whereas, control4 and RTI are fairly priced.
i am totally out of my depth here. I just want simple and ease of use for myself but more importantly my wife.
any advice will be greatly appreciated.
regards