New iMacs and Mac Minis come with an IR remote, I believe, so in theory it would certainly work - but I'd want to make sure they have a digital audio output as well. Of course, if you have a computer already and can get a network connection to your equipment rack (wired or wireless, something you'd want either way), it would be cheaper to get an AppleTV. You could even add a hard drive to an existing PC and get an AppleTV for less than a Mac Mini.