Earlier this week, Google pushed a new app to the Android Market called YouTube Remote. The app functions remote control for video playback on your computer, all powered by the cloud. The app works with YouTube Leanback, which is a desktop version of YouTube that offers fullscreen, continuous playback with large buttons for viewing from a distance. It's watching where you lean back, get it?
To make it work, all you have to do is sign into Leanback and the Remote app using the same Google Account, then from the app hit Menu, Connect. That's it! The app then displays playback controls which control playback on the computer screen, in as close to real-time as possible. The phone's volume buttons even control playback volume. You can search for videos, and create a queue of videos that will play back to back.
The app works also works when using YouTube Leanback from a
Google TV. For people with standard desktops or laptops, the app is more of a novelty than a real benefit. But for those with Google TV devices, or who use a
home theater PC in their living room, the app could be extremely helpful.
The app is available now and works with Android 2.1 or higher. To download it, search the Market for
YouTube Remote,
tap here from your phone, or scan this
QR Code.
This app is incredible. It really demonstrates the power of the cloud, and also what Google's apps are capable of with that huge infrastructure behind them. For those of us with home theater PCs, being able to browse and control YouTube videos without having to balance a keyboard and mouse on the couch is really great. I definitely recommend everyone try this, even if just to see how cool it is, and what potential it shows for future cloud sync apps.
I really don't think this is something that I will ever use. But I'm not a person who routinely watches YouTube videos on my TV. So it would be cool to have, just in case I want to do it someday, but it's not really something that resonates with me personally. Ryan, on the other hand, loves it, and I think that's awesome. It
is a very cool app, and for those of you already using Internet on your TVs, it will make things that much easier.
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