I have a number of devices that don't have "universal codes," although they have remotes -- for example, Clearmax and Viewmaster cable boxes -- that I would love to use in my existing video setup. Unfortunately, you can't program a cable-box ready VCR, or a VCR+ system, to automatically changes channels if there's no code.

Here's my question. Are there any universal remotes out there that can learn an entire remote, maybe gleen (sp?) a usable code, and then tell me what code it is? For example, if I use a Radio Shack 6 in 1 remote and "scan" the possible codes to find the correct one, once I find that code, I can press a couple of buttons and it'll tell me, by flashing the number of lights, the exact code.

Is this just not going to work?

Thanks for your advice,

Stu

I think it's not going to work. I think the information you would extract (device codes and Enhanced Function Codes) are already available for these cable boxes, but I don't think there's any way to "teach" them to your cable-box-ready VCR. I know the Robman has fought (or is fighting) to get ReplayTV to support the Viewmaster, and was not successful last I knew. And that's a device that can upgrade itself over the phone, unlike your VCR's.

And now to show some more ignorance...

But are there an unlimited number of codes available? Or is there a fix frequency range that all these remote use. And, if there is some sort of fixed range, then wouldn't the Viewmaster be using a code that another box might also be using? (Of course, to partially answer my own question, the "trying every code" method should take care of this.)

stu

To oversimplify a good deal:
Infrared remote protocols modulate a (roughly) 40KHz infrared carrier with a slower rate signal to transmit 1's and 0's. Strings of 1's and 0's make bytes; A transmission consists of a couple bytes of device code (so a device can recognize it's own remote), followed by a command code. The number of device codes is limited by the number of bytes used, so maybe 64k values are possible. The number of command codes is limited by how many bytes the manufacturer wants to transmit and receive with each command, but in the practical sense, one byte is probably sufficient (who wants a keyboard with more than 256 keys?).