Patent ID: 8793331

Claim:
A server comprising: a processor; a server remote access module configured to enable a remote access connection between the server and a client; a local multimedia application executing on the processor; and an agent configured to communicate with the server remote access module using the processor, the agent configured to: register with the local multimedia application; receive, from the local multimedia application, a playback request for electronic media content; enable sending, to the client over the remote access connection, at least one decode request for the electronic media content; enable negotiations with a proxy on the client to determine whether the client can decode at least a portion of the electronic media content; enable receiving, from the client over the remote access connection, a result of the at least one decode request based on the negotiations; enable sending, to the client over the remote access connection, a playback command for the electronic media content; and enable redirection of playback of the electronic media content automatically initiated over a virtual channel when the remote access connection is established between the server and the client to pass responsibility for processing the playback of the electronic media from the sever to the client so that the electronic media content appears to be playing on the multimedia application of the server when the electronic media content is played on a remote multimedia application of the client, wherein the playback request for the electronic media content is designated for the server and the playback command for the electronic media content is designated for the client, wherein the virtual channel is a separate communication channel from the remote access connection, and wherein the agent is configured to command the local multimedia application to play at least a portion of the electronic multimedia content on the server if the remote access connection becomes unavailable.