mac to tv?

TV have generally lower resolutions than Computer monitors. So thy're great for watching movies and the like -- but not great as an every day computer monitor.

I have a MacMini hooked up to my LCD in my living room, and it works like a charm, but I rarely use it for more than watching YouTube or Movies/TV Shows on.

You'd also need to get the DVI to Video adapter from Apple for like $25 or so.

If your TV isn't an LCD or Plasma that can do Progressive Scan then the image quality will be very bad.
I have an HD CRT that does 1080i and the desktop is pretty much unviewable. However for Frontrow it is absolutely stunning. I watch all my Downloaded TV shows this way. I am using a DVI - HDMI cable from my Intel iMac.

Yep... Just echoing what other have said. Resolution will be crappy. Text will be fuzzy, even on the best of HDTVs. I use it on occasion when editing just to see my edit with standard NTSC elements (gamma and title safe areas) but other than front row or videos, you won't want to use it as a monitor.

As for your component or composite or hdmi hookups on your TV... you'll need the appropriate cables. I don't know of any DVI or VGA out to component (which is what you claim you want to use). You'll be stuck with composite, s-video, or hdmi.

A7