Macbook as HTPC - Slow HD video

Hello all,

So I'm using my early 2009 Macbook as an HTPC. Video and audio work fine. The issue is that when I stream HD video - in particular, from Netflix, Youtube, and HBO Go - the video is slow and choppy, and it lags behind the audio. What's confusing is that when I watch the video on the Macbook monitor, the video is fine, but it gets slow when I hook the Macbook up to my TV.

Does this mean that the bottleneck is in the video card? And if so, is there a way to remedy this?

My Macbook is connected to my TV through mini-DVI. Specs of the Macbook are as follows: 2GHz Core 2 Duo, 4gb RAM, Nvidia GeForce 9400M 256MB, and OS X 10.8.3.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks everyone.

The graphics adapter in that model MacBook shares memory with the system which is why you're running into problems when attaching the TV. Nothing you can do about it since the graphics adapter is integrated to the logic board and can not be changed. More graphics memory would help but your machine is limited to 256 MB borrowed from the system.

Ah I see. Thanks for the insight. I might be in the market for a mac mini then. Any thoughts on minimum specs I'd need to stream HD video? I'm assuming all I'm looking for is a mac mini with a better graphics adapter with dedicated memory.

The latest Mini uses the Intel HD 4000 integrated GPU which is very robust. What's nice about is when you put 8 GB of system memory in the Mini, it allows the HD 4000 to borrow up to 1024 MB of VRAM. Should be more than enough to stream video. Besides the new Mini also has a much faster CPU than the older models.

Sounds like a plan. Thanks again.