Headless mac mini - no airplay mirroring in ML. Any solutions yet?

Hi to the masses.
I have recently purchased a new (well mid 2011) mac mini. I gave up waiting for the 2012 model!!... anyway. I have it configured as a headless server and as such is working perfectly well, that is with the exception of not being able to Airplay Mirror with Mountain Lion (10.8.2) to either of my 3rd gen ATVs.
After playing around with it for quite a while i managed to work out that if it is connected to a display it will airplay mirror perfectly well, but if it doesn't have a display attached the image that is received by the ATV is garbled with flashing neon colours.
Looking through the web i then discovered it's a commen fault with the mini, a design flaw even, but i can't seem to find any solution for it.
Maybe i should also mention it was purchased configured with Lion, not mountain lion, but i did do a complete reformat and clean install right from the start (and again since to see if it was just a screw up in the system). I have also tried resetting the SMC(?) and PRAM(?) (if those are the terms) but neither had any effect.
So i ask you all, has anyone cracked this nut? Is there a solution out there? Is there one coming (haha i had to ask) or do i return the mini to Apple and wait for the 2012/13 model to be released?
Any help would be appreciated.
(I'm sorry, I forgot to use a smiley in there somewhere... )

Judging from the other posts around the web, there are a few people who want to do this -- some of them have even posted that they are doing exactly what I am doing, with the same frustration.  We want to use the Mini as a home media server, so it really doesn't need a display... except for those times when it needs a display.  At those times, it would be nice to be able to send the image somewhere.  Silly to have a nice display and never use it...
The other application (which, coincidentally, I also want to do) is have my Mini way over there, out of the way, and display it on my TV way over here, without having to actually *look* at the Mini sitting in front of my home theater.
Some folks have reported success in "fooling" the video chip into thinking a monitor is attached by plugging in a dummy plug (using simple resistors) to the video out.  I've tried it on my late 2012 model, thus far without success.  I'd love to know if anyone knows how to make a dummy plug that acts enough like an actual video load that it does fool the Mini video chip and allows the Airplay function to take place normally!
Thanks all
Chris

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