Per some issues I've run into with a new AV setup at Chuch, I'm thinking in the long term I need to look into buying/building an AV (HTPC) machine to work around the misbehaving laptop.
The rest of the AV system is currently built around HDMI: there is a switch and splitter to a projector (which feeds stereo RCA to the existing audio mixer) and monitor (which has headphones; the monitor is for previewing with the projector off/blanked). OS wise I'm thinking either Windows 10 or (less optimally) OSX, mainly since I'd like to eliminate the fiddly blu-ray player (which is causing all sorts off issues) and use the HTPC to handle any CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray needing played (and from some quick research Blu-Ray is still not particularly linux-friendly due to all the DRM). Also, I don't want to use anything too exotic so anybody after me who needs to work with it can do so (another reason why I'm avoiding linux here).
The issue I'm having (and why I'm starting this thread) is that it seems USFF and AIO's with Blu-Ray drives are somewhat rare. Apple doesn't seem to have ever put them in iMacs... and while I know of USFF's with optical drives (such as the Acer Veriton I used to use at my former church), I'm seeing very few that were anything more than a DVD burner. I guess technically I could find one of those and swap the slim drive (and hope I can work out the bezels somehow)? Or run an AIO with an external drive? Technically I could opt for a full tower on the floor under the desk, which is another can of worms entirely (not sure where I'd start there)...
Thoughts/Ideas?
The rest of the AV system is currently built around HDMI: there is a switch and splitter to a projector (which feeds stereo RCA to the existing audio mixer) and monitor (which has headphones; the monitor is for previewing with the projector off/blanked). OS wise I'm thinking either Windows 10 or (less optimally) OSX, mainly since I'd like to eliminate the fiddly blu-ray player (which is causing all sorts off issues) and use the HTPC to handle any CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray needing played (and from some quick research Blu-Ray is still not particularly linux-friendly due to all the DRM). Also, I don't want to use anything too exotic so anybody after me who needs to work with it can do so (another reason why I'm avoiding linux here).
The issue I'm having (and why I'm starting this thread) is that it seems USFF and AIO's with Blu-Ray drives are somewhat rare. Apple doesn't seem to have ever put them in iMacs... and while I know of USFF's with optical drives (such as the Acer Veriton I used to use at my former church), I'm seeing very few that were anything more than a DVD burner. I guess technically I could find one of those and swap the slim drive (and hope I can work out the bezels somehow)? Or run an AIO with an external drive? Technically I could opt for a full tower on the floor under the desk, which is another can of worms entirely (not sure where I'd start there)...
Thoughts/Ideas?
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