Multiple cable box control - Stacked - one remote

universal remote control
1 - mrf 350 receiver
and
1- mx-350 remote for each cable box/room, or just 1 if you want.....
you can assign individual outputs to the mrf recvr, seperate for each cable box. Just be careful of the IR flash bouncing around and getting picked up by the other boxes. You can remedy that by putting black electrical tape over each emitter, or you can buy special emitter covers that do the same thing for a couple bucks each

Unless the boxes are addressable (which virtualy no cable boxes are) there is no IR only solution.

Another solution would be Logitech Harmony Remote (can't remember the version # but the one w/ RF capability). It comes with RF base station and 8 IR Blasters. The remote (w/ base station & blasters) runs about $200-$250 though.

The problems comes down to this.
If the boxes are not addressable there is no way for box 3 to "know" which commands are intended for box3. Most sat boxes are addressable. They are given a unique id and the remote programmed w/ the unique ID so when box 3 sees a command for box 1 or 2 it "knows" to ignore it.

The only solution will be to hide the commands for boxes 1 & 2 form box 3 and vice versa. There is no way to hide IR commands. An RF base station ensure only the right IR command goes to the right box.

What about Verizon Fios. Are their boxes addressable?

Ed

I don't think so but I don't have a FIOS box so I am not sure.

Here is a thread from 2007 that would seem to indicate they do not:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=811089

Cable Companies likely make it more difficult ON PURPOSE. Honestly who has a household that watches more than 2 live broadcasts at the same time? Most households even those with 10 TV likely won't watch more than 2 live broadcasts so....

2 (maybe 3) boxes in a media room hooked into a whole house distribution system would work fine. Of course 2x $5.50 is not a good for the Cable Company as 10 x $5.50.

Thanks for the response.

I my house we have a TV and 2 analog TIVOs (which are constantly accessed) in the family room, not to mention the rest of the house. If I went FIOS, I would need 3 STBs in the family room. Without addressible boxes, it would be a nightmare.

Ed

The Harmony RF extender doesn't help, unfortunately; it doesn't give the devices unique codes, just repeats the code it is given. You need something like the MRF-350 to handle this.

There's no technical reason you can't do this with all IR, but no one makes a box to do so as far as I know.

While Harmony doesn't give devices unique codes it does get the job done.

Create 2 copies of the device (in this case cable box) in Harmony software.
Give them different names (Cable box A, Cable box B)
Make activities based on Cable box A & B
THE KEY PART:
In remote setup select RF extended ONLY for both cable box A & B.
Select option "assign outputs for devices"
Assign box A output A
Assign box B output B
Connect the lead on output A ONLY to box A
Connect the lead on output B ONLY to box B

Now any command for Box A or activities based on box A will ONLY go to Box A.

As far a Harmony is concerned they are seperate devices. Box A commands will only be "seen" by Box A. Box B commands will only be seen by Box B.

I have three SA DVR's in one rack (8240HDC, 8300HD and 8000HD) and use one cable company supplied remote control that came with the DVR.
I use DVD jewel box cases on two of the STB's, open them up and put it in front of the DVR's that I'm not currently using and turn them off. The one that is uncovered, is the one that is on and I am watching and controlling.
My display only has one HD component input, so I bought a 4-way component switcher from Monoprice and hooked up all three (plus DVD). Even though it has a remote IR sensor, I walk up and move the DVD cover off the DVR I want to control and put it in front of the previously used DVR, then select the appropriate input on the switcher to view the "new' DVR. With the switcher, all of the connections (component, coaxial and analog sound) are switched to the main input of my Reciever, and the TV stays fixed on it's HD input. With this setup, it's like having a single DVR setup with no fuss about which one is active and there is no complicated remote needed to switch inputs and other devices (I still have a rarely used Home theater Master remote). It simply turns on the STB, TV, and reciever with a push of the power button, and if I want to swith DVR's, I walk up, move the cover and hit the input select button on the switcher and I'm done.

vegggas

As was stated earlier, RF remote and addressable base station. It is a very common.

You could try narrowing the IR beam with a reflector or thru a tube (a pen barrel?) of some kind and placing the STBs a little apart from each other.