I have a JVC S-VHS VCR and a General Instruments DCT-2000 digital cable box. The VCR has the ability to send IR commands to the cable box using a stick-on IR emitter, thus allowing the VCR to change channels as needed for timed recording. Problem is, it doesn't work! The VCR is sending "channel" + "enter" to the cable box, but the cable box expects "channel" + "select". (The enter button on the cable box is used to bring up the digital music menu, not to enter a channel.)

Thus, I'm looking for ideas. For example, is there a device that would capture the IR commands and replace the "enter" command with "select", then send them on their way to the cable box? I have an A/B switch, so I can time-record non-scrambled channels under 99, or time-record any one channel (leave the cable box on), but I can't get the best of both worlds.

The DCT-2000 has a rear port for a blast IR emitter. Try using your cable box to control the VCR.

I saw that as well, but the cable company doesn't support that yet. Apparently they need an upgrade at the central office before they can turn on the IR Blaster at the box, or so they tell me.

I have the same problem. Unfortunately, I don't know the solution. Only one of my VCR's codes (code 91 on a Mitsubishi HS-U580) causes the cable box to do anything. I think what you say above is what's happening, because I see the numbers from the VCR appear on the cable box, but then it just goes back to the same channel. I thought that these cable boxes were completely programmable, so why can't they just change how they respond to IR signals with a little simple reprogramming? I know, you can't answer this, but this is very frustrating. I don't think their "upgrade" is going to solve this problem, because I don't know what I would gain by letting the cable box control the VCR unless they basically duplicated the VCR timer functions in the cable box. Is this their plan? Getting technical help from Time Warner is next to impossible, at least that's been my experience. If your problem goes beyond what they have on their cheat sheets, they're lost. Does anyone know of a better source of info, a newsgroup, forum, that might offer some help?

I do not have cable (anymore). I do have the Dish Network Dishplayer. It has the capability to start the record function of my JVC HR-S9600U VCR and then to stop the recording on the VCR. So when the dishplayer is programmed with a few button pushes to record to the VCR, I insert a blank tape in the VCR, make sure it is turned on and the input is correct for the DSS and presto the recording is done automatically.

Perhaps this is the functionality that will be incorporated in your cable box.

I would try to program the vcr with codes from another brand of cable box. I have the same vcr but I dont use that function because I used to have a starsight system that controled the cable box and the vcr. Now Im using DSS and RCA dtc100 control the vcr. But I have seen cases where two different brands use the same code. Also it might have an auto code search function and maybe you can find one other than the one your using to make it work correctly. If your cable box is rented from the company you may think about giving it back and buying one.