The heat works really well, but the fan is rather loud.  The look of the logs when the light is turned off is just a black mound.  The Duraflame brand has more realistic logs.  Also, while this one is running, you can see the shadow of the turning mechanism and all the flame-shaped silver reflectors through the front of the logs.  The back does project flames on the back wall of your fireplace, but they're all a golden color.  Some of the other brands have red, yellow, and orange lights for variation.

It's good for heat, but if you want a more realistic look, try a different brand.  After all, this one has a digital display on the front that never turns off.