Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

HD Moods Fire Blu-ray Movie Review

In this super-deluxe version of the hoary favorite, the "yule log," you get all sorts of fires to fall asleep to.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 31, 2009

I can’t say for sure when I first stumbled across the “yule log,” an annual television “spectacular” (I joke because I love) which is broadcast here in the northwest every Christmas Eve. I will say I’ve spent many years in my long career as a musician as Music Director for various churches, which means of course I usually work late on Christmas Eve, and I’m sure I first came across this rather peculiar tradition after getting home late after services and then unwinding while channel surfing. I do know how odd I found it the first time I came across it. How sad, I thought, to have to watch a fire on television on this coziest of all nights rather than experiencing one first hand. I’m not sure my opinion has changed much in the intervening years, though with the increasing urbanization of our planet, not to mention concerns about environmental effects of all that burning wood, I guess I can better understand the allure of turning your flatscreen into a crackling hearth, not to mention there are no ashes to clean up afterward. It won’t really be a fire until they can add that wonderful pine scent that can often infiltrate a room where a fire has been burning, though heaven knows that technology is probably just around the corner. But I digress. This new offering in Topics’ HD Moods series has a few innovations up its fiery sleeve, and offers some variety in what can otherwise be a hypnotically boring “show.”

The main feature on this Blu-ray presents this particular fire.

Whereas previous entries in the fireplace television “screen saver” product line have, to my knowledge at least, concentrated on one fireplace, this new HD Moods: Fire offers a main, roughly 45 minute feature of your basic burning logs. But there are then several shorter (from six to around fifteen minutes each) journeys to various other kinds of fire, including one on a beach, a modern gas fireplace, a nice Christmas blaze with stockings hung with care on the mantle, and, certainly a propos for this spooky time of year, a “castle fire” replete with creaky floorboard noises.

Augmenting the visuals are a variety of different soundtrack options, including the basic fire noises as well as several ambient music tracks. The seasonal fires, meaning the Christmas and castle ones, offer appropriate music choices, with the Christmas flames crackling to carols, and the castle fire merrily burning to the sounds of a mammoth pipe organ. It’s kind of funny, yes, but it does actually help to set an appropriate mood.

This relatively new release in the HD Moods series is selling surprisingly well on Amazon, so there is obviously a public for it. This particular release does manage to spice things up with some virtual variety in both the visuals and soundtracks which helps to set it apart from other similar products out there. As far as I’m concerned, though, nothing can replace sipping a hot toddy in front of an actual crackling fire. In fact, I think I might have to go do that right now.

HD Moods Fire Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This is the Cadillac of fireplace Blu-rays as far as the 1080p VC-1 encoded image goes. As is advertised on the back cover, this was filmed in HD with a Red Digital Camera, which provides 4000 lines of resolution, twice the normal HD res. What that means is a strikingly realistic image, though of course there's not a heck of a lot to see here. The good news is there is no artifacting in the quickly changing flames in any of the many different modes available on the BD. Colors, such as they are, are well saturated, and the surrounding black levels are consistent, with excellent shadow detail.

HD Moods Fire Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similarly, there are quite a few options available on the soundtrack side of things, split between Dolby 5.1 and 2.0 offerings. It's a bit unwieldy to toggle between these choices due to Topics' odd menu setup, where you must first choose between stereo or surround and then go into another menu (not even a submenu) from which to make your actual soundtrack choice. On all of the fires included, you are offered natural fire sounds in both sound formats, and they sound just clear and crisp and crackly as can be. The 5.1 was actually a little disconcerting since you can clearly hear the snap and crackle behind you, perhaps raising your blood pressure just a bit. There are varying music soundtracks available on the various fires, again in both 2.0 and 5.1, with ambient names like "breeze" or "warm," but frankly I couldn't hear much difference between them, save for the holiday tunes played over the Christmas fire and the kind of funny organ music played over the supposedly scary castle fire.

HD Moods Fire Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

If you count the other kinds of fires as bonus items, that's up to you, but I lump them all under the main title feature, so I therefore consider this release supplement-less.

HD Moods Fire Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It may not be as good as a roaring fire in your own fireplace, but if circumstances prevent you from having one of your own, I guess this is the next best thing. At a bargain price, and with at least a little variety to offer in both image and sound, this HD Moods: Fire is the virtual blaze to get on Blu-ray.