4K HDR support means the Mac mini M2 Pro might be ideal for your home theater
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When Apple announced the new Mac mini (M2), one of the interesting tidbits was that the HDMI port has been upgraded, but only if you get the version with the M2 Pro chip.
Support for 4K at 120 Hz natively, or 4K at 240 Hz using Display Stream Compression (DSC) technology, is now available in that model, and both are nice – but what really got me noticed is that 4K HDR is now getting supported, For the first time.
We’re only talking about HDR10 now (the most ‘basic’ and common form), but that’s still a big step up from ‘no HDR at all’ we had before. Apple does support the more advanced Dolby Vision HDR format in macOS (the mini-LED screen on its Pro laptops takes full advantage of it, as we discuss in our MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023) review), but not through the HDMI port currently.
Still, with HDCP 2.2 on board to support it, it immediately begs the question of using the Mac mini M2 Pro as an HTPC (home theater PC) connected to one of the best TVs. HTPCs used to be a remarkable thing, but have recently fallen away with the rise of top streaming devices, which could offer most of the same features for much less money.
But HTPCs still have their uses (and their fans). After all, you can watch video literally anywhere that can send video to a web browser – not just services supported by the device. You can also play any digital movie files you have, regardless of their format, or connect to any kind of streaming server (or create one powered by the Mac mini, of course).
And because it’s the M2 Pro version, you get a beastly amount of power for whatever else you want to do with it, including entertainment. As always, Macs aren’t generally the first port of call for games, but there’s still a plethora of releases, new and old (especially strategy games), and rest assured that anything you throw at it will run great on the 19 core GPU.
And it could be ideal for music fans too – connect the Mac mini to a great AV receiver with serious speakers plugged in and you can play a Hi-Res Audio music collection in excellent quality.
The cons
There are some issues with using the Mac mini M2 Pro as an HTPC. The first is the lack of Dolby Atmos output from the HDMI port – multi-channel audio is supported, but not in the Atmos format, so you can actually get surround sound, but not the full 3D object-based audio effect with a of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.
Again, Atmos is supported in macOS, and you get Atmos Spatial Audio from the speakers on the iMac 24-inch (2021) or when you’re watching something and using AirPods Pro 2 – but Atmos doesn’t run over HDMI.
And then there’s the price. $1,299 / £1,399 / AU$1,999 rather a lot for an HTPC. You can get the latest Apple TV 4K (2022) for almost 90% cheaper, leaving you with enough cash to buy a PlayStation 5 and an Xbox Series X for that game hit. And then you would also have Dolby Vision and Atmos support.
But you wouldn’t have the flexibility. I’m not saying people should rush into buying the new Mac mini as an alternative way to watch the best streaming services; I’m just saying that for a certain class of home theater nerds (me – I mean: me) it’s just become one of the more interesting devices out there.
You can read our full Mac mini (2023) review for more information on the machine – and yes, we got to test the M2 Pro version.