I'm not sure where you got your information, but the TV and Mac Mini can both display 1080p. And the mini can decode 1080p h264 video without breaking a sweat

I'm not sure where you got your information, but the TV and Mac Mini can both display 1080p. And the mini can decode 1080p h264 video without breaking a sweat - even a core duo 1.83 has no issues there.