What model VCR will your Dish Pro 500 control?
My JVC rec won’t control a JVC VCR 
I didn’t know my Dish remote could control a VCR. I have a 3000 model, by the way. The best I could do is to get it to turn off the TV.
I think it’s an inexact science. I don’t depend on other remotes controlling anything. I use the remote that comes with the thing itself, mostly.
The receiver will control the VCR. You can set up an ‘event’ from on screen program listings and the receiver will tune to the channel and put the VCR in record mode at that time and date.
This would be exteremely cool. I can get the remote to control the vcr, but the receiver won’t control the vcr.