DreamScene and DeskScapes Released

Windows Vista Ultimate users are getting a preview release of Windows DreamScene today, with an animated Aurora background included. Any WMV or MPEG2 file can be used as a background, though there are some limitations. I expect that the community will rally and create some great looking content around this idea very soon.

One note ... MPEG2 files tend to perform better than WMV files, due to CPU requirements. However, unlike what is being spread by Stardock, it's not a pure performance bonus, as you're trading CPU time for GPU time. If you're using a laptop, expect to see lower battery life and more heat generated when using DreamScene.

Also released today is the companion to DreamScene ... Stardock's DeskScapes product. Basically a wrapper around a DreamScene MPEG2 file, these can be scripted to transition between videos based on the time of day or other critera, and can even support true 3D content. There is no dynamic content available yet, but this is also a product I can see the community rallying behind.

DeskScapes is free, and if you install it, be sure to get the Nebula theme. All that moves on this background are the stars pulsating; it's very subtle and soothing. I'd like to see more DeskScapes like this one, and not the incredibly busy ones I can anticipate seeing in the next few weeks.

Transform DreamScenes into DeskScapes

Looks like the team at Stardock has been busy! (Heya, Brad!) I haven't run much of their software in recent years because it's very hard to find a desktop that's clean and that I felt was an extension of my personality. Lately, the Zune skin for Windows XP has been close.

Vista's a trickier bird, with the new desktop compositing engine and whatnot. However, it seems like Stardock has been working hand in hand with Microsoft and actually helped develop the Windows Ultimate Extras feature that is now being called "DreamScenes." However, it's far more than animated desktops. Stardock has built this feature to be extensible (and theoretically for free if you bought Ultimate) and you'll be able to add something they're calling "DeskScapes."

Basically a DeskScape is a series of video files (while DreamScenes are a single video) that allow you to switch video files based on some criteria, whether it be weather, time, or some other event. I'm trying to dig up more information on the feature, but that's all I've got for now.

What is strange is the following quote from Brad Wardell in the comments on the page linked above ...

Incidentally, DeskScapes will be part of Object Desktop.

Could this be a Vista Ultimate loophole? How do you make the upgraded feature available as part of a pay service without locking out regular Vista users? I'm sure more info will come to light soon.