After being disappointed with many of the Fireplace DVDs out on the market that we tested, we were inspired to create a fireplace DVD that:

1. Used a real wood burning fire (not gas).

2. Was lit properly so that the fire didn't overexpose the shot.

3. A fire that filled the entire screen of a wide screen television as well as a regularly formatted TV.

4. Had no cheesy hearths to distract from the fire's magnificence.

5. Allowed the viewer to control what stage of the fire they wanted to see.

We believe that addressing these issues with a professional DVD has allowed us to create the best virtual fireplace available.

There are two basic aspect ratios 16:9 (widescreen) and 4:3 (standard) so look for these while you are searching your DVD player's menu. We shot the DVD in Anamorphic, which will allow it to switch between 16:9 and 4:3 formats without any issues.

If you are getting the black bars at the top and bottom of your TV screen, you will need to access your dvd player's menu (found on the remote). On your DVD player menu there should be an option to change the format (aspect ratio) so that the DVD displays properly on your screen without the black bars. This is how our DVDs are able to play on both widescreen and regularly formatted TVs.

This DVD has been tested in a wide variety of widescreen and standard screen TVs and displays full screen on both TV formats.

Enjoy a real wood burning fire (not a gas log imitation)!
Recorded to provide the highest spectrum of flame color.
Dolby Digital Sound of the actual wood burning fire snapping and crackling!
Fill the entire screen of widescreens and standard sized screens! (no annoying letterbox "black bars")
Easy to loop any of the three phases (beginning, middle, end) or play all three in sequence.

No show (1.0)

I would have loved to been able to review this DVD but it never turned up :-( very disappointed!

Romantic NOT Cheesy (5.0)

So, I live in an amazing apartment in San Franciso...I love everything about it except for the fact that I don't have a fireplace...well problem solved. This DVD is so fun to put on when I'm entertaining guest...you can decide what type of fire you want...a roaring fire or one that is starting to burn out...its also great for a little kissy kissy action on the couch with the special someone...everyone should add one of these to there collection!

Best of the Fireplace DVDs (4.0)

This real wood fire is perfectly framed, showing a handsome brick fireplace interior behind the fire, and just a little at the sides of the logs. In many ways, this appears to be the best production of a fireplace DVD, including lighting and other techniques.

The fire appears to be gas-assisted. At the start, the flames are large, even under the grate, where there appears to be no fuel. It appears that new logs have been stacked up, the gas fire started, and recording started soon thereafter. Other reviewers have commented on the loudness of the pops at the beginning. They sound metallic, and may be the cold grate expanding with the heat. As the wood burns, the gas is turned down for a natural effect, and the sounds become more natural. The great framing was created by almost doubling the length of wood used, with two logs in front - unusual until you get used to it.

As others have noted, you have the choice of looping through the whole fire, or the first, second or third parts of it (10 minutes each). When you start the DVD, the menu comes right up, you make your selection, and the loop starts. There are a few glitches in the sound, mostly at the end of the third segment, and the transitition at the end is rough. Viewing only the middle segment omits the distracting sound glitches, and the transition from end-mid to begin-mid is less startling.

The fire burns without interruption behind a screen. On my 46-inch Samsung LCD, I can see thin, horizontal rectangles of what appear to be fine wire, perhaps embedded in glass, especially in large flame areas. The vertical lines are occasionally distracting. There are no options for music or other distractions.

What makes a good fire? Is it just a feeling, or can you describe it? Does the fire on a fireplace DVD have to be a pure wood fire? How much of a production should be made of it?

We can probably agree that most fires, even with the same wood pile and fireplace, are going to be different. As such, having more than one fireplace DVD can make sense. On special occasions, we have gone to a B&B, just to have an evening together by the fire. You can buy a handful of DVDs for far less than one night at a B&B, and have your fire at home. Unlike a movie DVD, you may use it often.

In addition to this product, we also purchased:

Sierra Nevada Log Cabin Fireplace DVD ... 4-star
Cozy Cracklin' Fireplace ... 2-star
The Holiday Yule Log: Includes Gift Book, DVD with Classic Holiday Carols, and Lyric Books - Everything You Need to Enjoy Home, Hearth, and Family for the Holidays ... 3-star

We gave the Yule Log as a Christmas present, but watched it first. That prompted my wife to buy this product. I was bothered by the sound glitches and artificiality I mentioned above - after investigating, I bought the other two. My wife finds the Sierra Nevada flames too subdued, while I find it a worthy contender. But this DVD from PlasmaCandy is at least as good as anything else we have seen.

Add with Thunderstorm MP3 for great evening (5.0)

I bought this DVD to mask background noise in my city apartment and lend a relaxing ambiance. It succeeds on both accounts. The DVD has three modes; you can cycle through the fire when it is burning moderately, when it is more subdued, or my preference, get the whole cycle (from bright to subdued). It will cycle through indefinitely more or less seamlessly. It isn't exactly like a real fire but filming a fire has to be a real challenge so I am reasonably satisfied.

The sound of the fire could be better and there is a slight hiss in the background. I would have preferred more popping and lapping tongues of fire noises. But overall it is adequate. I am probably more sensitive to hissing and buzzing than most people so it probably won't be a problem for most.

But if the hissing bothers you I suggest playing the DVD simultaneously with an MP3 thunderstorm soundtrack.

I play the DVD while adding the thunderstorm with iTunes. It works great and will give you hours of pleasant ambient sound. Makes for a great night of reading.

A big hit during the Holidays. (5.0)

I reviewed numerous DVDs for fireplace effects and chose this one. We weren't disappointed. The real looking, clear images of a fire slowing burning down with the intermittent popping sound at just the right times made this a hit at our Holiday party. Add a little holiday incense to make even smell real and people will believe they can feel the heat. My wife and I even had a nice evening home alone with a glass of wine and soothing "fire".