iTunes Remote

iTunes Remote (also known simply as Remote) is a software application developed by Apple Inc. for iOS that allows for remote control of any Apple TV or iTunes (version 9.2.1 or later) library in an area with Wi-Fi connectivity using the proprietary Digital Audio Control Protocol (DACP).^[1] It is currently available as a free download from the App Store for users of iOS 3.1.2 or higher on the iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad.

1 History
- 1.1 Patent filing
- 1.2 Releases
2 Features
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

History

Patent filing

Unofficial software modifications for including this functionality in both iOS and the Apple TV OS had existed previously, but rumors of Apple giving remote control capabilities between iOS and Apple TV had existed since early 2007, when the U.S. Patent Office published a patent filed by Apple on September 11, 2006 that depicted a "media-player with remote control capabilities" alongside a "multi-media center for computing systems".^[2]

Releases

On July 10, 2008, Apple released Remote on the App Store.^[3] That same day, Apple released the Apple TV 2.1 software update that added recognition for the iPhone and iPod Touch as remote control devices.^[4]

Version 1.1 was released on September 16, 2008, and brought the following improvements:

Create Genius playlists
Create and edit playlists in iTunes

Version 1.2 was released on March 11, 2009, and brought the following improvements:

Control the music on iTunes or Apple TV
See the album artwork on your Remote
Search your whole iTunes library
Control your AirTunes speakers

Version 2.0 was released on September 28, 2010, and brought the following improvements:

Designed for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
Optimized for Retina displays and large screen real estate on iPad
Support for Shared Libraries on iTunes and new Apple TV
Bug fixes and compatibility with iTunes 10 and the new Apple TV
Control iTunes and Apple TV, from anywhere in your home
Pause, rewind, fast forward, shuffle, and adjust the volume from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad
View album, movie, and TV show artwork
Create and update Genius playlists
Create and edit playlists in iTunes
Search your entire iTunes library
Control iTunes to send music to AirPlay speakers
Control the volume on each speaker independently
Control Apple TV with simple finger gestures
Enter text with the keyboard
Even control Shared Libraries on iTunes and the new Apple TV

Version 2.0.1 was released on October 15, 2010, and brought the following improvements:

Includes stability and performance improvements
Improves performance using Remote on an iPhone when Bluetooth is enabled
Addresses a problem browsing artists with a large number of albums
Addresses some issues waking up computers when using Home Sharing
Addresses some issues with connecting to an iTunes library or Apple TV when using Home Sharing or a Passcode
Addresses some issues with connecting to a Wi-Fi network

Version 2.1 was released on December 22, 2010, and brought the following improvements:

AirPlay video support to control iTunes on your computer to stream videos to an Apple TV
Internet radio control to play thousands of internet radio streams in iTunes on your computer
The ability to control iTunes on your computer to play Movies and TV shows that are rented from the iTunes Store
Addresses issues connecting to an iTunes library or Apple TV
Includes stability and performance improvements

Version 2.1.1 was released on March 15, 2011, and brought the following improvements:

Improvements when connecting to iTunes or Apple TV
Addition of a "skip back" button when playing video
Additional stability and performance improvements

Version 2.2 was released on October 12, 2011, and brought the following improvements:

Provides compatibility with iOS 5
Provides additional stability and performance improvements

Features

Remote, similar to the Apple Remote, allows for one to adjust iTunes volume, play, pause, skip or shuffle media playback on an iTunes library on either Mac OS X, Windows or the Apple TV OS through the AirPlay capability. The metadata from an iTunes library is streamed to the iPhone or iPod Touch, which then renders a graphic of the currently playing media (usually album art) from the particular iTunes library.

Remote has a menu of items to choose from:

Playlists (including Genius)
Artists
Albums
Search
More (which gives access to Audiobooks, Composers, Genres, Movies, Music Videos, Podcasts, Songs, and TV Shows)^[5]

References

^ http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1947
^ "Apple media center patent: iPod connectivity?". LoopRumors.com. 2007-04-12. Archived from the original on 2007-04-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20070416155548/http://www.looprumors.com/article.php?apple-multimedia-center-patent,1418752719.
^ Ricker, Thomas (2008-07-10). "Apple's Remote: turns your iPhone into a WiFi remote control". Engadget. http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/10/apples-remote-control-application-for-itunes-and-apple-tv/. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
^ Bohon, Cory (2008-07-10). "Apple TV 2.1 update goes live, adds MobileMe support". The Unofficial Apple Weblog. http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/10/apple-tv-2-1-update-goes-live-adds-mobileme-support/. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
^ Diaz, Jesus (2008-07-10). "First iTunes Remote App for iPhone Hands-On". Gizmodo. http://gizmodo.com/5023755/first-itunes-remote-app-for-iphone-hands+on. Retrieved 2008-07-15.

External links

Remote on Apple's web site
Remote at the iTunes App Store (requires iTunes to open)