im having an old laptop with built-in infrared, and i want to use the laptop to control my catv-box, in other words i want to make my laptop a remote, is it possible and if yes how?
more:
my catv box is a noname and i dont have the original remote contrioller anymore thats the reason why i want to do this, i tryed it with a universal remote controller but it doesnt work, bevor i go out and pay anoter 60 usd for a remote, wich probably wont work to, i thought i try it with my laptop and then since the universal remote has a leaning option wich requiers the original remote, i could teach the remote with my laptop, thank you in advance

well i'd assume that infrared on the laptop is actually irda, not "remote control" IR, whatever that is technically called. As such i'm sure the two wouldn't be able to communicate. if you were to build a serial IR transmitter, for example: http://www.lirc.org/transmitters.html then you could get your solution working just fine. You'll probably find that if you do make your own (and it's hideously easy really) you would be able to neatly fit all the components inside a normal serial connector, so it'd just look like a normal USB dongle or whatever.

In my world, i bought a Logitech Harmony 680. this is a BRILLIANT device, configured online to run up to 16 devices and is just fabulous. cost me £80 but it is SO SO SO much nicer that those all-in-one remotes. I also built an IR reciever which i run against a Freevo / CentOS based PVR.

i checked on the lirc site and they say built in irda support.
if i dont misunderstand in the support section
http://www.lirc.org/html/install.html

yes there is improving irda support in lirc, but you need two devices which will understand one another, irda to standard ir can't communicate. unless i'm very very very very wrong...

I know that there are palm programs that will use irda to control tv, vcr and just about anything else. The down side of irda is the distance. It has a much shorter range.

Thats all I know and it is not alot. I am having problems with my laptop just using a remote.