Dragging this back to life for a bit!

With the iPhone app "Remote" you can control the Apple TV in ways that you can't (at least not very easily) via the Apple TV interface. Is there a program that can control the Apple TV via a MacBook like this?

Ideally I'd like be able to create playlists on the fly and add/append/encue songs like on the Empeg, but I know that will never happen. But for now just quicker searching and access to media would suffice.