Fireplace. Visions of Tranquility [Blu ray] :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

Terrible. Don't waste you money!

2008-03-09
I don't know how you could mess this up, but they did. Like everyone else I wanted a nice fireplace scene in 1080p. What I got was something my grandma would record and give to me. Every one of the fireplace selections is zoomed in and not very different in configuration. How hard would it be to produce several scenes of beautiful fireplace settings rumbling in high quality uncompressed audio? It's obvious they produced a low budget product hoping it would sell simply because it's released in Blu-Ray format. Don't buy this. I recommend buying a fireplace scene on upscaled DVD until a respectable product is released on Blu-Ray.

Firellace: visions of tranquility blu-ray

2008-02-29
I don't have a fireplace nor do I have room to put one, so I pop this disc in" presto changeo ". I have a nice calming fire, no mess to clean and I don't have to wait for it to go out so I can go to bed. What a GREAT Idea !!

Not bad, not great

2007-12-28
I bought this specifically knowing the issues with blu-ray playback on this particular disc on the PS3, which I use as my blu-ray player, and went through the steps to get the replacement disc from the HDScape website and have had a good amount of time to watch the fireplaces. The quality is quite good, though not 1080P good, on the fires. And I of course like having the music in the background. If you want a simulated fire on your screen, this will do. Its nothing amazing but not too bad.

2 copies, neither worked on my PS3...

2007-12-07
I preordered this because I have been eagerly awaiting an HD quality fireplace experience but it will not play on the PS3... can't speak for other Blu Ray players. After getting a replacement from Amazon it had the same problem so I need to send both back and get a refund. Odd that my HDScape fish tank works fine... probably a small company without a Quality Assurance department.

Waiting...

2007-11-05
The last reviewer is accurate when he said it does not work on the Sony PS3. If you go to the "HDscape" website they will offer you a free replacement disc that will work on the PS3. They stated something was wrong with the encoding process and that it should be fixed in all future releases of the Fireplace disc.

As far as the quality, I have no idea as I am waiting to get a replacement disc. Hope this helps.

Doesn't work on ps3

2007-11-02
Introducing Fireplace: Visions of Tranquility Blu-ray Disc, shot in High Definition and created specifically for your high definition home theater. Four different fireplace flames allow the viewer to choose a fire and soundtrack to set the right mood. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the dancing flames and crackling roar of Fireplace.

Four Fireplace Viewing Options Include:
The Eternal Flame: This steady flame remains at full intensity. Use it with the repeat option for dazzling, warm flames all night long. 30 minutes.
The Complete Fire: The full life of a fire, from the crackling start to the burning embers. 30 minutes.
The Extraordinary Fire: The best angles and shots of the fireplace with beautiful close-ups that accentuate the flame.
The Romantic Fire: This smaller and more intimate fire is sure to ignite some passion for you and the one you love.

HDScape: Advancing the Art of HD

HDScape is the leading producer of High Definition discs that turn your Plasma, LCD, CRT or DLP HDTV home theater system into a work of art.

Disappointing

2007-10-30
I've been really looking forward to this DVD ever since I got my Blu-ray player. I have a regular DVD version (different company) and I really thought it would be very similar. I was wrong.

Firstly, the video is stretched so the image is a bit distorted. I'm one of those people that can't watch those faux-HD movies/shows. This is HD, but possibly shot on the lowest-quality possible. It was also shot interlaced, which means you can see all the horizontal scan lines in the fire so the picture quality is sub-standard. It's not true.. THIS IS NOT A 1080p DISC (besides seeing scan lines, my Blu-ray player says it's 60i...so it's not just my eyes).

Secondly, the camera is zoomed in too close to the fire. The DVD I had before had several options and all of them were at least zoomed out far enough to see the whole fire. This DVD is cropped at the top and the fire fills the screen. Some shots are cropped so close it feels like part of my house is on fire. If you like this kind of thing, that's fine, but I prefer the "fireplace illusion"...the TV either looking like a fireplace or zoomed out enough to actually see a fireplace. There are four different fires and they're all shot from basically the same distance so one will have a very hard time distinguishing the difference between any of them. The only difference I could tell was that the wood was stacked slightly differently. Of note: where the description says "different angles & shots" it doesn't mean that you can use the angle functionality on the DVD player. It just means that throughout the DVD they chose slightly different angles to shoot from... you have no control over those.

Finally, the audio is also a disappointment. Blu-ray should have at least 5.1 audio and the Crackling Fire is only 2.0 (stereo), though there's an option to play the classical music with 5.1.

All in all, a lackluster release by a manufacturer who clearly just wanted to beat any other product of its kind to the HD market. The images look far better than the actual blurry video so make sure you really really want to sacrifice all the above aspects just to have this DVD. Wait a while and better ones will surely be available soon.

Best Fire Place experience on HD to date!

2007-10-09
Just a couple things first. The plot is somewhat weak as expected, but I have to say, You won't find a nicer fire place HD experience around. PQ is amazing! Almost a year ago, I decided to build a fire place in the downstairs basement/requeroom to add a warmer atmosphere to an otherwise cold room. After purchasing this F/P BD, all my plans have been scrapped and I am now enjoying a completely ejoyable digital fire without the mess and continuous high cost of logs, matches and F/P maintanance! I couldn't be happier. The fire is accompanied by mood music to add to the experience. Hopefully Fire Place 2 will release in uncompressed PCM or DTS uncompressed HD 7.1 surround. Highly recommend! Enjoy!