I have been running Plex Home Theater (and its predecessors) on my antiquated 2007 Mac Mini for years. The setup has served me amazingly well, and this little Mac Mini may be the best value machine I have ever purchased - it has literally been running almost every day since 2008! I used it to run both PMS and PHT but the time has definitely come for an upgrade - it can only run Snow Leopard and Plex are phasing out support for older versions of OSX. Furthermore, 1080p playback has always been a bit iffy and the problem has only gotten worse.
I definitely want to buy a Mac Mini again, and will almost certainly go for the 2014 model, but I want to ensure the device is as future proof as possible. My current thinking is a 2014 MacMini with 16Gb RAM and a 1Tb fusion drive. The device will be running both Plex Media Server and Plex Media Player. (I have a Drobo 5D connected to it containing my media). I want to prepare for playback of QuadHD or higher content, though for now I'll be playing 720p/1080p stuff mainly.
My questions for the Plex community:
Will the 2014 Mac Minis support QuadHD resolutions over the HDMI port?
Would an i5 be powerful enough for playback of QuadHD content, or would I really need an i7? I want to ensure that what I buy is not obsoleted after a year or so.
Could I get away with 8Gb of RAM or would playback deteriorate with high bitrate contant?
Would a fusion drive make a big difference? It's a choice between a regular 1tb drive or a fusion 1tb drive. I'll mostly be playing content off my Drobo 5D via the thunderbolt port.
Is audio sent via the HDMI port on modern Mac Minis? (my 2007 Mac Mini needed separate optical out)
Do people reckon I should hold out for the newer Mac Minis with USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 support? Obviously they are coming soonish. Obviously this is a personal decision but I'm curious what people think.
Thanks in advance!