Mods: QuickSilver HTPC – Concept

Posted on | November 15, 2005 | No Comments

A Macintosh Media Center is a concept I have had in the back of my brain since the introduction of CenterStage. I have always had media ready Macintosh’s and unofficial media centers with my 840AV and 8500PPC. They both were constantly attached to my television stereo while I was living in the dorms or at home. Now adays I utilize my wifes iBook and an AV cable, provide music for parties, slideshows for guests and we have even watched the occasional movie and TV show.

But as my media library has expanded, and media center front end applications (CenterStage & FrontRow) have been developed, it was time to develop a stand alone media center.

Concept
The idea is to create a stand a lone system that will look good in my entertainment unit, while possessing the power to play movies, TV shows, slideshows, and music with a remote control interface. On a limited budget I’m going to attempt to accomplish this spending as little cash as possible.

Component List

G4 or Better Macintosh (800 Mhz G4, QuickSilver, 1GB RAM)
Case for System (Compaq Desktop EN)
DVD-Rom or DVD-R (w/ Quicksilver)
Hard Drive for Movies & Pictures (120GB IDE & Unknown?)
Remote Control (ATI All-In-Wonder Remote)
Wireless Internet Connection (Airport Card?)
PCI USB Card for front USB Ports
Optional: Media Card Reader
Optional: iPod Dock
Time for modification…

So after knowing what the pieces of the puzzle are, here’s my first concept of the finished case. This is what you can see at the beginning of the post. I wanted no doubt that this was a Macintosh. I’m carrying the QuickSilver ques from the original case including the DVD-rom and the power and reset buttons. The top will feature a square window to leave no doubt that this is a Macintosh HTPC. Subtle lighting may be applied to help viewing the inside of the case.

Stay tuned for future updates to this project…