Remote Desktop Question

[jwells777]

Can it be used to effectively allow your laptop to be a remote for a Home theater media center?

In particular, I have a box that is part of my Home theater setup with no keyboard or mouse connected to a projector and stereo. I would like to be able to control the machine from a laptop, while still displaying video and sound locally to the home theater. Can you do this or do I have to go back to VNC viewer (which as of 3 years ago was terrible IMHO...)

Thanks,

J

 

[RebateMonger]

Remote desktop for XP Professional logs off the local user, which means all that would show to local screen is a "Computer is locked....." screen.

Did you consider using the "Remote Assistance" mode? I've never played with it for this use, but it DOES allow both local and remote access to the same screens, and the local computer can be controlled by the remote user. It might work....

 

[doan]

I use vnc to control my HTPC

 

[jwells777]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Remote desktop for XP Professional logs off the local user, which means all that would show to local screen is a "Computer is locked....." screen.

Did you consider using the "Remote Assistance" mode? I've never played with it for this use, but it DOES allow both local and remote access to the same screens, and the local computer can be controlled by the remote user. It might work....

The Remote Assistance idea is intriguing as that would probably behave exactly how you would want. The only problem is, how would you initiate the session? Doesn't a request for remote assistance have to originate on the local machine?

 

[Tsaico]

I beleive it does. Not to mention, there has been a lot of changes to VNC since three years ago. The free version is far from an enterprise solution, it definitly is enough to run another computer on the network.

 

[RebateMonger]

I just tried both Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop.

Remote Desktop kills the local video and puts it to a "Logon Screen". Even if you log in remotely as the SAME user as is currently logged on.

Remote Assistance asks the local user for permission. There might be a way to remove this requirement, but I haven't found it.

I also tried logging in via Remote Assistance mode from a Windows Small Business Server 2003. Even when doing it from the "Offer Remote Assistance" mode, it STILL asks the local user for permission.

 

[Gooberlx2]

check this out. It enables concurrent sessions in WindowsMCE using a pre-service pack version of termsrv.dll. I have it, use it...works perfectly. I can rdp in to my MCE box without interrupting other logged on users.

TGB is always slow for me...google cached here

Dunno if it works outside of MCE2005...but I don't see why not...