Move the second waiting and print into waitsec() function. Changed code to start by pausing the DVD twice with a short pause. Moved the play function to the beginning of the loop. Moved all the print operations into the functions that send the IR commands.

dawn/Synchronizer_Toshiba_SD590EKE/Synchronizer_Toshiba_SD590EKE.pde

@@ -47,35 +47,25 @@ void setup() {
     Serial.print(secs % 60);
     Serial.println("");
 
-  Serial.println("play");
-  send_play();
-  Serial.println("wait 7 seconds");
-  delay(7000);
-
+  // The DVD player starts playing automatically, so we should pause it
+  send_pause();
+  waitsec(1);
+  send_pause();
+  waitsec(2);
   secs=playtime;
 
 }
 
-
-
-
 /********************************************************************/
 void loop() {
-    Serial.println("Sync");
-      
-      Serial.println(" pause");
-      send_pause();
-      delay(2000);
-      
-      Serial.println(" skip");
-      send_previous();
-      delay(2000);      
-      
-      Serial.println(" play");
-      send_play();
-
-
+  Serial.println("Sync");
+  send_play();
+  
   for(int t = 0; t < playtime; t++) {
+    // This will not give us perfect 1 second timing
+    //   but it is good enough for most video applications
+    // The most critical is having everything start at the
+    //   same time.
     Serial.print("sec:");
     Serial.print(playtime);
     Serial.print(" / mm:ss ");
@@ -86,29 +76,49 @@ void loop() {
     delay(1000);
   }
 
+  send_pause();
+  waitsec(1);
 
+  send_pause();
+  waitsec(2);
+
+  send_previous();
+  waitsec(5);      
 }
 
+/**************************************************************/
+void waitsec(int sec) {
+  Serial.print("wait");
+  Serial.print(sec);
+  Serial.println("seconds");
+  delay(sec*1000);
+}
+
+
 /********************************************************************/
 void send_stop() { 
   // First comes the pre-data bits, then the command code
+    Serial.println(" stop");
     irsend.sendNEC(0xA25D28D7,32); 
 }
 
 /********************************************************************/
 void send_play() { 
   // First comes the pre-data bits, then the command code
+    Serial.println(" play");
     irsend.sendNEC(0xA25DA857,32); 
 }
 
 /********************************************************************/
 void send_pause() { 
   // First comes the pre-data bits, then the command code
+  Serial.println("  pause");
   irsend.sendNEC(0xA25D00FF, 32); 
 }	
 
 /********************************************************************/
 void send_previous() {  
   // First comes the pre-data bits, then the command code
+  Serial.println(" previous");
   irsend.sendNEC(0xA25DC43B, 32); 
 }