Charter communications in San Fernando Valley is using the Cisco Explorer 8640 cable boxes. To get discrete POWER ON ability go into the menu of the Explorer 8640 and find VIEWER:POWER ON. From there cursor right and a sub menu will open up that allows to change POWER ON from the POWER button only to POWER button "or" any NUMBER key.

For discrete POWER ON I use the zero key "0". This wakes up the Explorer and tries sending it to channel 0. Since this channel does not exist the box reverts back to the LAST CHANNEL it was on.

I have not tried a discrete POWER OFF sequence yet, but I would assume it to be a macro of zero - 2 second pause - power.

Hope this helps out.

Robert the Cable Guy