18 replies to this topic

[Gary H]

First, I think Shaw Cable's "The Frame" is one of the coolest HD channels around.  It's just 24/7 commercial-free pictures (with music) or videos.  The locations are all beautiful and the pics are usually of great quality.  There is a whole half-hour picture show on Vancouver Island that makes you want to go out and explore some of these parks up-island.  The channel is 222 here in Victoria.

 

As we are nearing winter they've put up their Holiday Fireplace - a non-stop video feed of some big fireplace somewhere with live audio of the crackling flames.  It's quite remarkable how it seems to give the illusion of making the room warmer - or is that just the Granville Island Lions Winter Ale! 

 

As it appear that you can submit photos for inclusion in one of their shows, I'm wondering if any of the VV photographers have done this?  https://community.sh...a/docs/DOC-1665

 

 

 

 

[sebberry]

I'm pretty sure my room feels warmer when watching the fireplace because I have the plasma TV running all day pumping out heat.

 

Oh I just thought of something.  My projector screen drops down in front of the windows.  I think I'll fire up (pun intended) the fireplace channel but not pull down the screen.  I'll time how long it takes for a neighbour to call the fire department. 

[stormy]

I agree, Frame is a great channel.  I have it on quite often, the music is nice and the scenery incredible.  It's a good one to have on as background.  My client loves doing the 'Armchair tourist' number check as well.

[James Bay walker]

For two dollars (less after the holidays at times, eg. 3/$5 and sometimes 1/2 price), you can buy an excellent fireplace DVD from the Dollar Store (equivalent) in the Bay Center (bottom level of the mall).  Comes in a pink case, labelled:

 

Yule Log  '2 hours of festive Christmas music set to a beautiful & traditional fireplace

 

That said, the setting I like is:  without the music (just the fireplace crackles), and, fireplace only (not the whole room).  Thankfully it does have those settings and imo, it's better than Shaw's fireplace log channel (at least, the version they were using when I had cable, some 20 or so years ago).  It auto-replays so you can just leave it going all day.  21:32

 

jbw

[cfbnp200e]

Fire log has a twitter account as well. Good for a smile. @ShawFireLog
His/her bio is good too.

[tedward]

I got a fire-log DVD years ago that has an "aquarium" on the flip-side. Bonus!

[Mike K.]

^nice.

[LJ]

I got a fire-log DVD years ago that has an "aquarium" on the flip-side. Bonus!

There's a flip side on a DVD?

[sebberry]

No, he just mixed it up with his copy of Finding Nemo

[Gary H]

There's a flip side on a DVD?

 

You've never seen a double sided DVD?  I have a few in my DVD collection but like this guy says in this hilarious video, which side to you put down to watch your film? 

 

http://youtu.be/IfloVJBlCLQ

Edited by Gary H, 29 November 2013 - 07:39 PM.

[tedward]

Yep, lots of cheap DVD movies have two sides. Very popular for adding bonus features without having to include a second disc. Only thing I find annoying is that it means no label, just teeny-tiny printing around the centre hole which makes finding them in my multi-disc containers a bit frustrating.

[Gary H]

Shaw's Holiday Fireplace on display at the Bay Centre.

 

 

[Bingo]

How realistic is that, a ceiling fireplace? 

[Rob Randall]

We had the fireplace channel on this season (often alongside an actual fireplace!) but found it disappointing as it seemed like it was on a fairly short loop, maybe 20 minutes because you're looking at the same logs. I feel once it was probably a longer video?

 

Former Councilllor Chris Coleman writes about the fire in a recent Facebook post:

Art imitating Life......it's mesmerizing!

 

As the Christmas Season draws to its inexorable close, I have to comment on a Seasonal Tradition that has only been around for 17 years.......the Yule Log Fire video.

 

Actually, the concept of a video'd fireplace started in 1966 as a two day holiday special for New York City residents. It became a holiday tradition in New England for just over 20 years but was discontinued in 1989.

 

The idea was re-introduced in 2001 and now seems to be omnipresent on North American airwaves during the Mid-December to early January period. In Victoria, I counted at least 6 different stations that had a video fire on a loop. Some of the videos were of the purist variety with a roaring fire and an audio of crackling wood embers that made one actually think the room was getting warmer. In some cases, a hand would appear occasionally and stoke the fire for another 30 minutes enjoyment. Other videos were less compelling (smaller pieces of wood, ....piped in Christmas instrumental music that one could hardly sing-a-long with......the fire never gets stoked & the flames look like poor Cgi data sets); some offerings were actually depressing...looking a bit like Bob Cratchit's office stove before Scrooge's epiphany.

 

The best version this year was on Telus TV, channel 1060 (called Fireplace HD) ....the poorest version was on 1203 (out of Boston...but it's a FOX Network production so the disappointment is understandable!)

 

And for those in BC who were without power because of the storms, there was always the option to go "old school" (as we did on Pender Island before 1966) ....you could actually set & tend a fire in the fireplace , as opposed to clicking a button to the TV remote. That was truly mesmerizing!

 

[lanforod]

The best options were on Youtube.

[mbjj]

My husband enjoyed the gentle crackle, lol.

[Langford Rat]

I had my PVR set to record this but the recorder stopped 5 minutes early....just as it was really getting good. How did this end?

[Linear Thinker]

In the Telus version, a marshmallow is roasted.

[sebberry]

In the Telus version, a marshmallow is roasted.

 

Oh, the war is on!