This is not the first or the last guide to turning a Mac Mini into a PVR. But this particular configuration is special in that it provides an easy way to copy the programming to VCD (MPEG-1), DVD (MPEG-2), QuickTime (MPEG-4) or DivX. The underlying functionality comes from the Plextor ConvertX digital video encoder, which runs $210 on Amazon—it’s cheap, easy to install, and takes the encoding weight off of the Mac’s back. Not too shabby.
