The first thing I would like to say is that DreamScene is awesome. Why Microsoft has not made much noise about this Vista Ultimate Extra I have no idea. It seems to me like a great selling point. Needless to say you are going to need a decent computer to be able to use it, but today that isn’t a big issue with the price of good computers being competitively low.
With DreamScene, you can use a video file or a slideshow as your desktop background. If you have Vista Ultimate, you can download DreamScene from windows updates under Vista Ultimate Extras. Microsoft included 14 short movie clips with the package, most of them being scenic or nature clips like a waterfall, stream, flowers moving in the wind, raindrops falling into a puddle, etc. I also own Stardock Windowblinds software, which is for customizing the visuals of Windows. Together with DreamScene, it really looks awesome, as I found myself staring blankly at my desktop for 2 minutes.
The files they included were .mpeg, so I converted a video of me pwning in Call of Duty: WaW multiplayer to mpeg and sure enough, I was able to use that video clip as my background. SWEETNESS. So if you are planning on buying a new computer soon, make sure you check out the rest of the features of Windows Vista Ultimate and compare them with the other versions. Don’t miss out!
To use DreamScene once you have downloaded it:
1. Right click on your desktop.
2. Select Personalize.
3. Click Desktop Background.
4. Where it says Location, select Windows DreamScene Content from the dropdown, or browse to where your personal mpeg files are located and choose a file to set as a background.
Oh yea, please dont flame this article because it is about Vista. I am just getting this feature out into the public so if you were interested in Vista, you can know about stuff like DreamScene and not be pissed you didn’t check out Ultimate first! Besides if you are still stuck on the whole XP over vista thing, get over it, because Vista is damn stable now, has things like DX10 for gamers, it will support the next DirectX version without having to upgrade to Windows 7, and its got great productivity features as well.
*Edit: Apparently there is a way to get DreamScene to work on Vista Home Premium: Link to Video (But I don’t think it works on Home Premium x64, just 32 bit)
Which Vista Edition is right for you? : Compare Editions here
Pay no attention to the prices listed for the Vista Editions in the above link. Check on NewEgg’s Online Store for a much cheaper price. (Direct link)
Youtube Search: Vista Ultimate DreamScene previews
Stardock Windowblinds: Link
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therock31 - January 25th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
good extra for vista but it’s hard to find Dreamscenes in high resolutions like 1680*1050.and it needs good processor as well