How do you like your TiVo, with bleeps & bloops or without?
by Richard Lawler 
posted May 18th 2009 at 9:19AM
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
scyber @ May 18th 2009 9:25AM
w/o
Pinovhle @ May 18th 2009 9:50AM
Mine are off. I think they're annoying.
jason @ May 18th 2009 9:53AM
Without. Definitely.
It is always weird how on TV shows/movies you hear the bloop-bleeps. Obviously they want you to know that it is TIVO, and they are 'with it'. I can't imagine anyone leaving those on. It would be hard not to laugh if I went over someone's house and they had them on.
Bill Curnow @ May 18th 2009 9:57AM
They're a lot of fun, and very distinctive. They're also the first thing I turn off when I'm configuring a TiVo.
Spiza @ May 18th 2009 9:56AM
off
Galley @ May 18th 2009 10:01AM
The "bloop bloop" is the best thing about TiVo.
Garst @ May 18th 2009 6:01PM
Then you should get a stand alone device that makes the "bloop bloop" sound and save money by not having TiVo. Apparently, you don't care if you have the DVR function, if you do away with that and the guide subscription from TiVo, that's $12.95 you could be saving a month!
Kevin @ May 19th 2009 12:24PM
Umm, wow, way to be snarky and over react.
He said they best thing for him is the sounds. He didn't say the ONLY thing he likes is the sounds.
demon @ May 18th 2009 10:03AM
I leave them on, but I turn the volume on them down to the minimum; the default level is too loud.
Benyth @ May 18th 2009 12:16PM
Me too. Sound on, but at the lowest volume.
I also keep suggestions on.
The Angry Intern @ May 18th 2009 6:25PM
same here. I like to have them on for some reason. I get kinda annoyed by the silence from my cable co DVR when I use that.
squeeg @ May 18th 2009 10:08AM
Still using a default STB here. Flame away...
adammillers @ May 18th 2009 10:08AM
My roommate turned his off, but I agree with the writers that it leaves your unit hollow if there aren't any sounds.
Vin @ May 18th 2009 10:35AM
Def keep them on. Audio cues and feed back is one of the things I wish my cable company DVR had.
ahow628 @ May 18th 2009 10:19AM
I don't have Tivo anymore. We use Windows Vista Media Center. I continue to make the beeps, boops, and bongs on my own, much to my wife's chagrin.
Eric @ May 18th 2009 10:30AM
The slightly sluggish interface causes me to leave them on. It's audible feedback that it actually heard me and is doing something. After using it for a while, it's kind of creepy when it doesn't make any sound.
Rich Clark @ May 18th 2009 12:02PM
On. It's not just reassuring (and useful when the unit gets laggy, as it sometimes does) but it lets me look away from the screen while still operating the TiVo.
longwa @ May 18th 2009 10:32AM
I like the sounds, but when you have Dolby Digital output selected, it turns them off anyway while you are watching most things. I ended up turning them off because I hated the inconsistency.
Eddie @ May 18th 2009 1:54PM
Is that why sometimes I hear it, sometimes I don't! I've wondered what that was about.
Thanks!
Orangeboy @ May 18th 2009 10:37AM
For those of you that don't have a Tivo, but felt compelled to respond anyway, why?
Vin @ May 18th 2009 5:20PM
Assuming your question was to me since i mentioned a cable dvr. I actually have both, but I could see how my statement was misleading.
I could also see how people who previously owned a tivo would also want to weigh in.
mitchelljd @ May 18th 2009 10:51AM
i turn my DVR noise cues off. but. sadly because i have directv... it is until 2010 that we won't have a serious option of Tivo again. right now the only tivo i have being used in my house is an old hd tivo model in our kids room, and it ain't even in HD.
Wryker @ May 18th 2009 11:03AM
That annoying sound is turned off on all 4 of my TiVo's
John G @ May 25th 2009 6:22PM
Wife hates the sound, so the Living Room and the Master Bedroom are off but the Den and son's room Tivo's are set to low volume.
John G
zach @ May 18th 2009 11:51AM
On. If not, why not lease a lovely comcast motorola dvr? ;-)
William C Bonner @ May 18th 2009 11:51AM
I leave them on, but only hear them some of the time, since my only video source is over the air ATSC, and I always use my stereo amplifier for my sound output, which is connected to the optical output. The TiVo doesn't overlay sounds on dolby digital output, so much of what I watch misses out on the beeps. I keep wondering if an upgraded software load on the tivo will recover that functionality.
Pip @ May 18th 2009 12:10PM
Doesn't make bloops and blips with digital output selected, so I just make the bloopity bloop noises for the girlfriend since she hates it without the bloops.
BMINTS @ May 18th 2009 12:31PM
Would not be a TiVo without the bloop bloop. Love it, and miss it on my TW dvr.
Texasgrillchef @ May 18th 2009 12:36PM
ON.... it lets me know if I have succesfully pushed the button on my remote. YES, I know their is a LED that flashes when you succesfully pushed a button. But I CAN'T see my TiVo as it's in the closet. (I use a RF remote extender).
Thus.. the beeps let me know... :) I love my sound!
TGC
Kyle @ May 18th 2009 12:50PM
On.
bhlackey @ May 18th 2009 12:55PM
Off.
darklighter @ May 18th 2009 1:15PM
On, as long as I'm not watching Dolby Digital content.
MadMike @ May 18th 2009 1:46PM
I keep the sound on. On an unrelated note, I have to say I _HATE_ the advertising on the TiVo menus.
Larry @ May 18th 2009 2:10PM
On. It's how I can tell when the kids are bouncing on the remote too fast.
Matt Walton @ May 18th 2009 2:35PM
bleep bloop ftw!
jiffylush @ May 18th 2009 2:57PM
On, but at the lowest volume setting.
I like them, of course my problems with the cable co supplied DVR have absolutely nothing to do with a lack of cute sounds.
More important question...
Do you own a TiVo or other, and do you regularly watch live TV?
I find that TiVo owners watch almost no live TV, and cable co box users watch mostly live TV only using the DVR when there are simultaneous shows.
AwlAmericanDawg @ May 18th 2009 3:13PM
That's the best part about TiVo! Without that "bloop-bloop" sounds, it'd just be another DVR.
jon arnason @ May 18th 2009 4:00PM
Very annoying to have on. I don't need no stinkin' "bloop-bloop" sounds. But the my Tivo Series 3 HD rocks. Keeps getting better too with Amazon and Netflix thrown in. With my 1Tb external hooked up, I'm good for the summer.
Jon,
http://www.macmynd.com
Palfuris @ May 18th 2009 4:51PM
Good lord, OFF. If I wanted annoying sounds to be coming at me when I watched TV I would have mother-in-law on speaker phone when I watched television.
Harley3k @ May 18th 2009 5:14PM
OFF.
The sound effects, and the cartoonish icon for that matter don't fit in too well with my otherwise very sophisticated, and high-tech feeling home theater.
I've always enjoyed the recording-reliability, and feature set of the Tivo, but the cartoon look never appealed to me. The new SEARCH-BETA screen is awesome, and the HD Look is impressive. Tivo needs to remake their entire interface in this same image.
Todd @ May 18th 2009 6:13PM
On! Love the badop>badop>badop!
The Angry Intern @ May 18th 2009 6:27PM
on, love those goofy sounds for some reason
chestnu1 @ May 18th 2009 7:25PM
On I didn't know you could turn the sounds off but I like the sounds anyways they grow on you.
jurban @ May 18th 2009 8:57PM
On.
It is hollow without the bloops.
I've mistakenly had it on mute a few times, and it did seem lacking.
Although, I'd like to have it automatically drop the volume after 10pm so it doesn't wake up the wife while she's asleep next to me.
normychas @ May 18th 2009 9:43PM
Am i crazy or am i wrong in saying that i don't have an option to turn them on because i run dolby digital over hdmi? I have grown to like having the sound effects off but was not aware that i had the option of turning them on again. Is this the case?
Travis @ May 19th 2009 4:42PM
My thoughts exactly. I like the beeps and boops but you can't have them on w/ HDMI.
Justin @ May 18th 2009 10:54PM
On. My girl friend imitates those sounds when we're watching tv at my house...because I'm Tivo-less.
Derek @ May 18th 2009 10:54PM
Definitely on. It isn't Tivo without the quirky sounds!
Brad @ May 18th 2009 11:46PM
On. My wife prefers the bloop bloops. I prefer boobs.
kyle.h @ May 18th 2009 11:50PM
On. Most definitely.