PaulS:
Consistent use of one base would be a good thing.
True it muddies the water using different bases but not the/a problem unless it casts to different data type.
I did not noticed you had commented out the "static byte lastValue;" its now replaced and corrected with proper data type "static unsigned long lastValue;". Without 'static' each time round the loop 'lastValue' was being reset to zero so you lost what the last non repeat key was. Ended up de-soldering the IR receiver from a defunct VHS recorder here at work to build a test setup 
#include <IRremote.h>
int RECV_PIN = 11;
IRrecv irrecv(RECV_PIN);
decode_results results;
int led7 = 7;
int led8 = 8;
void setup()
{
pinMode(led7, OUTPUT);
pinMode(led8, OUTPUT);
Serial.begin(9600);
irrecv.enableIRIn(); // Start the receiver
digitalWrite(led7, LOW);
digitalWrite(led8, LOW);
}
void loop() {
static unsigned long lastValue;
if (irrecv.decode(&results)) { // Check for IR button press
unsigned long newValue = results.value; // Get IR code
if (newValue == 0xffffffff) { // NEC repeat button pressed?
newValue = lastValue; // Substitute last not repeat code
}
else { // Not repeat code
lastValue = newValue; // Store last not repeat code
}
switch (newValue) {
case 0x77E1D08B:
//do something when var equals 1
digitalWrite(led7, HIGH);
delay(50);
break;
case 0x77E1B08B:
//do something when var equals 2
digitalWrite(led8, HIGH);
delay(50);
break;
}
digitalWrite(led7, LOW);
digitalWrite(led8, LOW);
irrecv.resume(); // Receive the next value
}
}
