Microsoft bundles Windows Media Center software with the Windows 7 operating system, allowing you to use your computer like a TiVo or Roku box and access music, movies, and photos from the comfort of your couch — assuming you have a remote control or wireless keyboard. Microsoft also offers some pretty powerful media software in the Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system. You’d think it would be a no-brainer for Microsoft to include the option to use your phone as a media center remote control. But instead it falls to third party developers to offer that sort of functionality.
That’s just what developer Bradley Mauk has done. His
Media Center Remote app showed up
in the Windows Phone Marketplace yesterday.You can purchase it for £2.49, or about $4 or take a free trial for a spin.
The app lets you navigate through your music, movies, and photos on a computer on your home network running a small server application. You can also access your now playing list to play, pause, or rewind media. The app also lets you control Netflix Watch Instantly videos.
You can also use the Meddia Center Remote app to open or close your DVD drive, search for media, or even convert speech to text so you can tell your media center PC what to do using your voice.
UPDATE: The app is live
http://social.zune.net/redirect?type=phoneApp&id=0ef9e178-624c-e011-854c-00237de2db9eThere are some nice features in the remote
• Navigation
◦ My Music
◦ My Pictures
◦ My Movies (supports built in Movie Library and MyMovies plug in)
◦ Now Playing
◦ Netflix (if installed and not on an extender of course, the phone app detects this and enables as available.)
• Control
◦ Up, Down, Left, Right, Back, GreenButton commands
◦ Gesture pad to swipe around using fingers.
■ Hold for GreenButton command.
■ Tap for OK
■ Swipe for direction command (I am working out the thresholds for swipe velocity still to scroll multiple positions with 1 swipe)
• Misc
◦ Display text from phone to Media Center.
◦ Speak text from phone to Media Center.
◦ Open / Close DVD drive. (close obviosuly if not a laptop)
◦ Search for Albums, Artists, Songs.
◦ View album Art on phone for albums.
◦ View preview of images on phone for item in Picture Library.
•Playback
◦Play, Stop, Pause, Previous, Next buttons
◦ Play Song (double tap song)
◦ Play Artist (double tap artist)
◦ Play Album (double tap album)
◦ Play Picture (double tap picture)
◦ Play Picture Folder (double tap Picture Folder)
◦ Queue Song (Hold on song)
◦ Queue Artist (Hold on Artist)
◦ Queue Album (Hold on Album)
