Niall has a new version of Big Screen by Remote the remote scheduling application for Windows Media Center. The new version fixes bugs, enhanced Silverlight client and has some new functionality.

Niall is also introducing a system called “Host Relay” designed for people with multiple Media Center systems and have a single point of access to connect to your multiple machines, which sound like it would be great for me as I have two systems doing recordings and would have to have to separate setups of By Remote

Checkout Niall’s blog for all the details and download the app from bigscreenglobal.com,  at the moment the app is free (while in beta)

As well as a new version – the server issued expiry date (attached to registrations) – has been extended by an addition 2 months to 1 December, 2010 (was previously 1/Oct/2010). Users who have existing v0.6x releases (or this new one) can simply reactivate their products to pick up the new expiry date.

This new version fixes some bugs, provides some enhancements on both the Silverlight Client and the Mobile Browser version – but more importantly (for my own ongoing development of this and associated products) – it adds behind the scenes support for the upcoming Windowsphone 7 native client and a new addon currently being called ‘By Remote Host Relay’ (see below).

Taken from the Release Notes – here’s what’s changed in this version :

  • (Silverlight 4 client) Fixed : various bugs in UI such as Recording/Popup Functionality not working in the ‘Whats On’ Browser and other miscellaneous problems.
  • (Silverlight 4 client) Enhanced : Enhanced : Network Connection Settings Dialog has been rewritten – now includes a ‘connection’ wizard so that you can add new connections and test them at same time.
  • (Silverlight 4 client) New :  Contains additional functionality/dialogs for new ByRemote Host Relay (Coming Soon)
  • (Mobile) Fixed : Problems with DateTime display accross UI. Now standardizes the datetime display with globalization support (uses globalization settings from your By Remote Server machine’s control panel and region) – with correct display of 24hr/12hr times, dates etc. These fixes are now visible in the iPhone/iPad (IUI) and XHTML Interfaces.

Plus the following functionality has been added to the By Remote Server (which will be important for new stuff Coming Soon ) :

  • New : Various Internal Support for By Remote Host Relay (Coming Soon – see below for more info on what this is).
  • New : Various Internal Support for new Native Mobile Phone Clients (Coming Soon) – such as Windowsphone7 By Remote Client – including new authentication methods (required by Windowsphone7 clients).
*Coming Soon* By Remote ‘Host Relay’ (working title) – how it works…

By Remote Host Relay is a new ‘addon’ (for lack of better word) – which will be deployed most likely as an additional Windows Service – and provides functionality for those who are running multiple Media Center machines around the house (which have By Remote Servers running on them). 
The By Remote Host Relay offers a ‘single point’ of access for all your By Remote Servers / Media Center machines (which works in a similar manner to a specialized reverse proxy server) – and hence greatly simplifies setting up remote and local access to your machines.  There’s also a single ‘sign on’ (authentication) for the Host Relay – so you don’t need to remember each machines username/password when you’re connecting to it.

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