Price: $0.99 Score: 8/10 Category: Entertainment
Fireplace HD+ is an iPad app developed by Rory Buckley. While it comes in iPod Touch and iPhone flavors as well, this virtual fireplace app is best experienced on the iPad.
Fireplace HD+ offers a variety of fake fireplace atmospheres, much like your cable provider likely does around this time every year. In addition to four different fireplace scenes with crackling sounds and lovely ambiance, Fireplace HD+ also offers an array of different audio samples to augment the seasonal Yuletide experience.
There are a couple of Christmas carols, as well as some other audio tracks. Additionally, you can tune in to various radio channels, which include jazz, classical, Christmas, and more.
There is a built-in sleep timer, which is handy if you want to have the fireplace running in the background of a room and then shut off at a predetermined time. It’s a great way to add a bit of seasonality to any holiday gathering, or just add a bit of “warmth” to your home or office space during a chilly winter’s night.
Arguably the best feature of this holiday app is the ability to use AirPlay to put the crackling fire on a bigger screen. However, if you plan to purchase this app and then send the virtual fireplace to your TV screen via AirPlay mirroring, there are a few words of caution.
During our test, using AirPlay to see the Fireplace HD+ app on our TV was a bit problematic. The audio and video both lagged a bit, though things did improve a bit after rebooting the iPad. Still, it wasn’t exactly a smooth and seamless experience. Even on the iPad alone, the audio had a tendency to lull or skip at times.
Fireplace HD+ may not be a perfect iPad app, but for just 99 cents, it is worth picking up if you need a way to make your home more festive. Apparently, it also makes for great white noise to help you fall asleep at night (presumably to dream of sugarplums dancing in your head.)
Fireplace HD+ is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.