Can you use tivo with basic cable?

Is the IR for Tivo a special cable or can I use any IR Cable for Tivo?

• I wanted to go to a brick and mortar store and buy an IR Cable to connect my Tivo. Comcast NEVER STATED I WOULD NEED THIS. So I began installation and now I am stuck. Can't find the original one.

• Answer:

  There is nothing special about the Tivo IR blaster. It just has a 1/8" mono plug on one end of the cable and some IR emitters on the other. The Tivo web site describes it as" Replacement IR Control Cable for use with your TiVo Recorder and most cable set-top boxes or satellite receivers." I once made one for a Series 2 using an IR emitter from an old TV remote and a plug/cable from an old transistor radio earpiece. Worked fine. Probably a lot easier to order one on the Internet than find a B & M that stocks them. Why not just order one from Tivo? $6.99 + s/h