Vista Ultimate DreamScene now available

Just a heads up to those who have Windows Vista Ultimate -- the Ultimate Extra DreamScene (technical preview) was released on Windows Update Tuesday. Basically, DreamScene lets you use animated High Definition wallpaper for your desktop (.mpeg or .wmv). The download includes one example -- a version of the Vista wallpaper img24 but with a moving aurora effect that is pretty cool).

Once you have that, you can go to http://dream.wincustomize.com and get Stardock's free DeskScape software to allow you to use their newly created .dream format files, some of which are already available for download (also free). They have three up so far, and more to come soon. Stardock also released a small dreammaker utility which you can use to convert .wmv and .mpeg files to .dream files, adding credit and copyright information as you wish.

Overall, it's a very cool feature -- and somewhat of a shame that only those with Vista Ultimate can get it. But if you've got the OS, and a graphics card that supports aero, give it a go. The only real downsides are that for notebooks your graphics card works harder, producing more heat, and using more battery. I find that my machine kicks the fan on a higher setting if I leave DremeScene running for a couple hours -- I haven't measured the exact effect on battery yet.

 

makes me want to upgrade...

 

hoosh... i'd still go to a nice zhang ziyi (house off the flying dagger) or chow yun fat (curse of the golden flower) wallpaper than an animated wallpaper.

nice feature though. just doesn't ring well to me why i'd want a moving wallpaper other than to amuse windows 2000 and xp users hehe

will this be one of the reasons out there that makes battery life lower on laptops using vista?

 

yeah...it's a cool feature, but not a reason to get Ultimate

One thing I did like...It uses about 15% cpu on my system (T2050, X1400), but as soon as I maximize a window, the usage drops back to normal. So, without much playing with it, I'd say the built in some system performance helpers (a better description/word fails me).

 

I know. I just downloaded it. I won't be using the .dream software though. I just used the video I took (and had already converted to .wmv previously) of my son on the day he was born. I took it with my digital camera. It's pretty cool and does not affect my system resources as much...

 

now this is the reason why i should upgrade to vista premium and install this extra. such a nice add-on especially you can day-dream about someone special to you and just maximize a window in case you get tired of it or you got a fight with your wife.

oh... does the moving background peek in the borders of a maximized window? i don't want some moving edges when working on full window

 

Well I guess that depends on your computer. As I am typing this post in an IE window that's maximized, I see no edges from the desktop moving.

BTW, you have to upgrade to Ultimate. This feature IS NOT available to users of Vista Home Premium, Basic, or Business.

 

Yeah, the .dream extension is mainly just to create a standardized format for sharing these. If you use your own vid and don't want to share it, there's no reason to install the extension.

Also, though your system resources aren't being used to much, the higher res vid you use, the more resources get used up. Using MPEG-2 instead of wmv will use significantly less resources.

I like that idea. And, no, once you maximize a window, the the motion desktop pauses to save resources. You can't "see" through a maximized window in that sense.

 

now i have to save some money on vista ultimate and get a shot of a cool moving background i haven't tried or had the feeling of aero so i don't know if the moving background will peek into aero

 

just use this for your back gorund