🚀 go-pugleaf

Howdy,
    I recently purchased a VCR and I would like to be able to use the
'power' button on the remote to turn on the TV as well as the VCR.
Unfortunately, the VCR doesn't have a switched AC outlet, as I would
have liked.  I would like to build a circuit to do this, but I'm not
sure which approach to use.  I'm considering:
  1. open up the VCR and find a switched output which could be used to
     drive a relay for the switched AC circuit
  2. build an external infrared detector which will recognize the 'power'
     button sequence and switch the AC output on/off.
I would prefer option 2, mostly because it sounds like the most fun to build,
and doesn't require voiding the warranty!

   I would like to know if anyone has worked with infrared remotes and
knows what kind of protocols are used, is it asynch with start/stop pulses
and some kind of encoding for the keys on the remote?  Also, I am not
sure of how to go about amplifying the signal detected, I presume, 
from an infrared photodiode detector.  I realize that different manufacturers
use different encoding methods, but I'm curious about the techniques
used in general, and what is required to receive them.  I'd appreciate
any help anyone can give me.

			Thanks in advance,
			-Glenn

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Glenn T. Colon-Bonet			colonbon@boulder.colorado.edu
University of Colorado at Boulder	...!boulder!colonbon
Boulder, CO 80309			(303) 492-1133
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Glenn T. Colon-Bonet			colonbon@boulder.colorado.edu
University of Colorado at Boulder	...!boulder!colonbon
Boulder, CO 80309			(303) 492-1133