If anyone didn't know, I was able to learn a 7 step mini macro onto any button on the VL700 and VL900. To do this you will need a One For All remote like a Cinema 7 or a Radio Shack 15-2104 or 15-1994. On the OFA remote string up the 7 signals and put them in a macro. Now learn this macro to any button on the VL700 or VL900. It works every time. I couldn't learn 8 step mini macro, so 7 seems to be the threshold.

Using this approach, I now actually prefer the VL700 over the VL900 because it is much lighter, fits better in the hand, and the arrow keys are well placed, and now with this 7 step mini macros, it does everything the VL900 does.

Update: VL900 can learn 7 step as mentioned above with ease, but the VL700 refused to learn the same mini macro, it only learned the first signal.

I had to manually punch in the signals from several remotes really fast for the VL700 to learn multiple signals. Lots of trail and error and finally I could only get the VL700 to learn 3 step mini macros.

It probably has to do with the VL700's slightly slower CPU. The VL900 has more "punch".

Daniel, can you learn a signal onto the component buttons on a VL1000. Its undocumented just like the VL900 but at least you cover it in your VL900 programming manual on this site.

The VL1000 manual only talks about using the discrete POWER ON for sony components only onto component buttons.