Thank you very much for your help!
Theoretically, yes, but the IR output is EXTREMELY weak on the 50g. If
you want to see for yourself, grab just about any digital camera, and
turn on the live view via the LCD. Point a TV remote at the lens, and
hit a few buttons. You should see it lighting up nice and bright on
the camera's display, even in a well-lit room. Now try doing the same
with the 50g - print or send some data over IR. I wasn't even able to
see the IR LED lighting up unless I did this in a very dark closet,
and even then it was still barely visible! In other words, you'd
probably have to get so close to the TV to make this work, that you'd
be better off using the buttons on the TV.
-Dave Britten