How can I insert a long delay between IR commands, e.g. a few seconds or so ?

Some example uses for my setup:

1) When changing surround modes, I would like the receiver's onscreen display to appear for a couple of seconds and then disappear. That requires sending the IR command to display the receiver status twice, separated by a couple of seconds of delay.

2) I would like to add the equivalent of Tivo's "replay" button to my DVD player. This button, which is useful to repeat a bit of missed dialogue, jumps back 8 seconds and then resumes playing. I would emulate this on the DVD by rewinding for a fixed amount of time and then resuming play mode.