The yule log: On demand, on the Web, and on the iPhone

Yep, the crackling fire will again be available on-demand in HD—but this year, it also debuts on the iPhone and even the Xbox 360. Plus: The yule log on YouTube, complete with director's commentary.

On-demand: Sure, the televised yule log has been a Christmas morn' staple for decades—but you haven't really seen (and heard) a yule log 'till you've experienced it in 1080i with 5.1-channel sound. Comcast, Cox, and Time Warner cable subscribers can (again) dial up a free HD yule log courtesy of iN DEMAND Networks, along with a couple of new holiday offerings: Winter Green (which depicts a "snowy, pine forest setting") and Snowman (featuring—you guessed it—an adorable snowman).

On TV: Scores of local TV stations across the country will, of course, televise their own virtual yule logs, while here in New York, WPIX—which debuted the original TV yule log in 1966—will host a four-hour broadcast Christmas morning, complete with a re-mastered HD version of the 35mm original (I kid you not).

On DVD and Blu-ray: I found several pages of yule log DVDs on Amazon, including something new for the 2008 holiday season—"The Yule Log: Christmas by the Fireplace," a Blu-ray disc that comes with a trio of Dolby TrueHD soundtracks. Sorry, videophiles: It's presented in 1080i, not 1080p.

On the iPhone: There are at least three yule log applications for the iPhone, each priced at 99 cents; the one I tried (the aptly-named "Yule Log") does nothing more than flicker and crackle, while iYuleLog promises customizable backgrounds and a Christmas Day countdown.

On the Xbox 360: Tired of roasting bad guys with the flamethrower in "Call of Duty: World at War"? Just fire up "Fireplace," a new community "game" on Xbox Live. I gave it a try, and, well … it's cute, but you might want to stick to the demo. The graphics are so-so, the "pops" are jump-out-of-your-seat loud, and c'mon—400 Microsoft Points ($5)?

On YouTube: At last, free yule logs for everyone, no HDTV required. My favorite: The original WPIX yule log (only two-minutes worth, though, so keep your finger on the "replay" button). Even better: "Yule Log III," with a director's commentary ("When I was first approached about directing this project, my reaction was … muted, to say the least.")

Any other digital yule log suggestions? Fire away.