need help choosing a fireplace

I would like to put a fireplace into my living room. There is nothing there now so I am starting from scratch. I've looked at zero clearance wood burning fireplaces and have also considered building a fireplace. I think the "real" fireplace may look great, but am afraid of losing heat instead of gaining a heat source. I live on a cold windy hilltop in New York and could use a heat boost, especially when the power is out.
The fireplace xtrordinaire elite looks great, but I am hearing that there are problems with the cat. converter and the air cooled chimney on an outer wall . I've looked at the Opel 3 (RSF) and quafrafire 7100. The new door and grates for the Opel 3 are nice.
Any input in helping me with this decision would be appreciated.
Thank you.

Thank you for your thoughts on wood stoves. I was going with the fire place for looks. The house is 1200 sq ft. The living room in 19x19 with a long empty outside wall with two small windows at each end. I thought the fireplace would work as a visual focal point in the middle of this long wall. Therefore, I have concerns of how the zero clearance unit will look.
I could put another window there instead of a fireplace and put in a wood stove some place else. So basically it was a design decision to go with a centrally located fireplace. When costs started coming in for fire place xtrodinaire, boxing in a chimney and then facing the fireplace with stone or tiles, I realized it was a big investment and needed to think through alternatives. so now I am weighing options. The xtrodinaire looks good, but may not be a practical workable solution. the other fireplace units, although maybe more practical to an outside wall, may not offer the look for the money. Regardless, I will need an alternative heat source for when the winds blow.

Thank you. I looked at the photo gallery and there are some attractive or quaint small wood stoves. Is there a way to hide the stove pipe? Since the living room is surrounded on three sides by outside walls, I do not have an alternative to putting the stove or fire place on an outside wall. There is one small three wall between doors that is inside. Therefore the stove pipe would be visible. I don't find stove pipe an attractive living room item. The ONE inside wall houses the piano.

Thank you. The stove with matching stove pipe looks like a possibility. I'll have to check necessary space requirements. The room is almost 20 by 20, but because there is a piano in the room, space is limited. The zero clearance extended into the room, as in the picture you posted, will make the room too cramped. That is why I was going with zero c. on the exterior.
I'm glad to have gotten all this feedback before buying anything.
How about an RSF that has an insulated non-air cooled stove pipe? I have lots of wood so prefer to stay with wood, but am beginning to think a gas fired stove a possibility. I am not sure if they work when the power is out.
Thank you for all your help.

Hello again,
Thank you for the info on wood stoves and gas stoves as opposed to ZC wood burners.
I've been to the stove stores today and checked out specs for wood burning stoves. Although they are efficient, they require more room than the zero clearnace FPX , Quad, or rsf models. Gas may be still be a alternative choice, but i am hoping to go with wood if at all possible. Thanks to the input of your professionals or experienced wood burners, i was able to eliminate the Quad. The FPX seems like it could be problematic, unless I insulate the chimney housing on the exterior of the house. actually, this sounds like a good idea for any ZC fireplace.
So now, if i stay with the ZC, it looks like I should be looking at the RSF or FPX. An words of wisdom or reviews on these stoves would be helpful. Looks like I am staying away from gas or wood stoves unless absolutely necessary.
Thank you.
Eloise

Thank you for the information. The Lennox and the Kozy Heat are both nice looking xcwb fireplaces. The 36 inch is all I would need. I looked at the Hearth.com reviews as you suggested but saw little of the RSF.
Still thinking and weighing options. (Wood stove vs. xcwb fireplace)
I get a higher comfort level with the non-catalitic.
Eloise