I live in LA and the fireplace is mainly for looks, don't think we'd actually use it much. I do wish I had gone with a 55" rather than a 45" to match up with my TV a little more. I have a 65" in TV (57" wide) and a 45" soundbar. Tried to match my soundbar with it. Looks good but could have looked better. Overall, love it. The logs add depth to it which you don't realize until it's up. Also seen several instores and was not pleased because of how fake they look. Granted, you can tell it's fake BUT is definitely the best one around IMO and keeping it on low setting, just a subtle look makes it look real if you're not just sitting there and staring at it.
Working on building surround now, but have extensively tested the product. We bought the 45 in. It looks very nice overall. Flame is surprisingly realistic, though it is noticeable that it is not real. Puts out a decent amount of heat. Don't expect it to heat a large room by itself. It does take the chill off in our living room, which has high ceilings. Overall, great deal for the price.
We love it! The flames are very realistic looking, color changes and different media (logs, crystals) are great. Very easy to install with excellent instructions. Heater works good, but the fan is a little noisy. It's perfect for our basement rec room. Thanks Touchstone!