Stream Free Shows. After setting up the Mac mini, spend some time checking out content sites from which you can stream free video. Be sure to first install Microsoft Silverlight (www.microsoft.com/silverlight) and Adobe Flash (get.adobe.com/flashplayer), since some sites need these plug-ins to function.

You’ll find a range of shows scattered around the Web at various qualities. We look first to Hulu (www.hulu.com), since it has the best range of content, some of which is streamed in 480p. That higher-quality option makes a big difference in a living room, although it’s still below the bar for most HD paid content.

If your connection is fast enough that Hulu gives you the option, click the 480p button for a significant quality boost, then click the Full screen option.

Hulu stockpiles free shows and movies from NBC, Fox, Comedy Central, and other stations, plus it includes links to Disney, ABC, and more. Most shows land on the site the day after they air on TV, so you can even stay current with 24, The Office, and The Daily Show. Like other streaming sites, Hulu shows are broken up by a few commercials, but it’s hard to argue with the free price.

A few other free streaming sites are challenging Hulu’s domination. YouTube (www.youtube.com/shows) has recently begun streaming ad-supported TV shows and movies, although the initial selection is a thin mix of cult favorites and unknowns. Joost (www.joost.com) has more content, although it also lacks the range of current shows available on Hulu. Crackle (www.crackle.com) is full of Sony-owned content, with occasional hits, if you’re willing to skim though the rest. We don’t think any hold up to the range of choices offered on Hulu, but keep these bookmarks handy because some content won’t be available on Hulu but will be on one of these competitors.

And many TV networks offer their own content online. Visit your favorite networks’ websites—including cable channels Food Network, VH1, Discovery, HGTV, and more—to see if they stream full episodes of your favorite shows.

Stream Paid Shows. If you opt to pay for streamed content, your options expand further. Netflix and Amazon both support Macs. Both also stream some content at higher resolutions. Amazon’s HD streaming looks great on a TV, for example.

Netflix (www.netflix.com) requires one of its typical DVD-by-mail subscriptions, which start at $8.99 a month for the one-DVD-at-a-time plan. Once enrolled, you can stream an unlimited amount of content to your Mac. You’ll just have to log in to the Netflix site, and search the Watch Instantly section.

Over 12,000 movies and TV shows are available, making the service a great foundation for your streaming entertainment center. While these titles only represent a fraction of the 100,000 DVDs available, Netflix says it will keep adding more. And as long as you’ve got the one-DVD program, take advantage of it; the Mac mini includes a DVD player, after all.

Amazon (www.amazon.com/videoondemand) sells streaming movies and TV shows. Content is sold as rentals, which expire in a day, or for purchase with unlimited playback. Unlike iTunes, all Mac support requires you to stream the content, instead of playing it back off your hard drive. That’s a disappointing requirement for content we claim to “buy.” But drop by the site, in case you can’t find something on the iTunes Store.

While we prefer playing shows on our local computer to streaming them, streamed shows from Amazon HD look great with a fast-enough Net connection.

Add Front Row, Boxee, and VLC. With all of these Web sources for streaming content, you might have to spend a lot of time in a browser. Even if you choose the option to play the video full screen, the interface favors watching it from the typical desk chair–to-monitor distance, rather than the couch-to-TV distance. A couple alternatives can address this dilemma.

If you’re not already familiar with it, Front Row is Apple’s own, bundled media app, presenting your iTunes library with an easy-to-navigate interface that relies mostly on the arrow keys. Hit Return to make a selection and Escape to back out. You can’t buy shows directly, as you would within iTunes, but after you’ve loaded up local content, the simple interface works well to surf your media collection and control playback.

As much as we want to love the free Boxee (www.boxee.tv), we can’t quite commit unconditionally to this streaming aggregator. The theory behind it is great: Boxee lets you browse streaming content from Netflix, Hulu, Joost, the BBC, and more from a single location. It’ll even play media files from your Mac or a server. Add in optional social networking features to see which shows your friends like, and it’s an excellent concept.

Boxee uses a simple, couch-ready interface to aggregate content from several sources.

But too often Boxee videos didn’t fit our TV screen properly—even after manual adjustments—cutting off some of the image. And at press time, Hulu was doing its best to cause Boxee problems, which could have been the cause of some of the problems we experienced. Do check it out, however. If you’re willing to weather a few display glitches, or if the service improves, it could turn into an excellent source of free video entertainment.

If you’re recording and using a variety of video formats, you might run into a situation where iTunes and QuickTime won’t play your recordings without additional software. For example, Apple wants you to pay extra to play a native MPEG-2 stream, the same file your TV tuner can capture from DTV. Instead of paying extra, try VLC (free, www.videolan.org/vlc), a video player that tackles all kinds of uncommon formats.

Get Boxee and XBMC on the Apple TV

The Apple TV is a great device, even though Apple considers it a “side project” and hasn’t offered media buffs everything they’d really love in a digital entertainment hub. But while Apple hasn’t fully explored the Apple TV’s full potential, Boxee and other developers continue to expand the device’s features through a variety of hacks. In order to get Boxee and XMBC (Xbox Media Center, an open-source, cross-platform media player) features—which are, we should mention, unauthorized—you’re going to have to patch the device. Despite Apple’s clear commitment to keeping the Apple TV a “closed” system, the patching process is surprisingly simple.—Roberto Baldwin

1. Go to code.google.com/p/atvusb-creator and download the ATV USB Creator (atvusb-creator). Insert the USB drive into a free USB port on your Mac. Unzip the file (if it doesn’t do so on its own). Launch ATV USB Creator.

2. Choose ATV-Patchstick from the drop-down menu. Make sure Boxee For Mac and XBMC For Mac are both checked. The app will recognize the USB drive you plugged in prior to launching.

3. Click on Create Using, then wait for ATV USB Creator to do its thing, including erasing and then saving the necessary files to your USB thumb drive. Note: Some USB drives refuse to work with the ATV USB Creator. The final installed files require less than 30MB of space, so use a drive you know works, but don’t use one that you’re using to store data.

4. Unmount and unplug the USB thumb drive from your Mac. Power down the Apple TV and insert the USB drive into the USB port in the back of the device. We encountered some issues with Wi-Fi passwords not working correctly with the patchstick, so be sure to plug an Ethernet cable into the Apple TV. Onscreen you will see enough command line jargon to choke a tiny Unix-loving pony. Wait until the patchstick does its magic. The Command line will notify you when it is safe to unplug the Apple TV. Unplug it, remove the USB drive and then plug the power back in.

5. The Apple TV should launch as usual, but now with new options in the menu. Be sure to update Boxee, XBMC, and the Launcher to the latest versions to achieve maximum Hulu goodness. For the most part, you’re safe updating the Apple TV software when it becomes available without overriding the patch, but, just to be safe, you should check the Boxee blog (blog.boxee.tv) for up-to-date information.

A Few Notes: While Boxee does claim to work with Hulu, the ongoing battle among content providers means that sometimes Hulu will just stop working. The Boxee folks are pretty good about fixing these issues in a timely fashion, but be aware of the issue. Also, be sure to check out XBMC (xbmc.org). It's the foundation on which Boxee is built and is more stable than the alpha version of Boxee available for the Apple TV at press time.

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