Complicated iTunes Home Sharing Question

[MarchHare]

Situation:

I have a computer in my home office with a shared iTunes library. I have a Mac Mini in my living room hooked up to my home theatre system. Music streams perfectly fine from the home office computer to the living room computer using iTunes Home Sharing when I'm controlling the Mac Mini directly using its keyboard and mouse.

What I want to do is this:

Using the Remote app, I want to control my media library from my iPad and be able to choose where the audio outputs. Currently when using Remote, I can control playback of my music, but it will only play from the host computer in my home office. Other than buying an Airport Express or AppleTV, is there any way I can configure Remote so that the audio will output from the Mac Mini in the living room instead of the office computer where the shared library resides?

[octothorp]

This might not be ideal for you because it's a different software approach, but have you looked into Plex? I can use my iphone to access my Plex media server, and stream music or media from it to any computer in the house that has a Plex player running on it (or to the iphone itself). You'd be able to leave your itunes library exactly as-is, just set up Plex with an iTunes library plugin (really easy to do), and it makes your entire itunes library accessible through Plex.

[FanIn80]

I think Plex is the way to go as well.

Other than that, another approach would be a remote desktop app for the iPad. I have iTeleport on mine, and it allows me to control the Mac mini in my living room as if I was sitting in front of it with a mouse and keyboard.

If you really just want to keep things as simple as possible, you could try using Front Row on your Mac mini. It should be able to access music from your office Mac using Home Sharing (like you have set up already). Front Row is already installed on your Mac mini, and is controllable with a physical remote control.

[MarchHare]

Thanks for the tips. Controlling Front Row via the iPad (using an app I found called "Rowmote" works and accomplishes what I'm trying to do, but it's not the most elegant solution. Downloading and installing Plex now.

[MarchHare]

Plex is AWESOME. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks guys.