Poor Man’s DreamScene: VLC Media Player
Vista has a cool feature called DreamScene. It lets you play a video file on your computer’s desktop. However, it’s available only on Ultimate edition of Vista. You can somehow simulate it on Windows machines using VLC Media Player.
- Download VLC Media Player from this site and install it.
- Change the “Video output module” to “DirectX video output” by following this guide.
- Play a video file of your choice. Now click on Video menu and select Wallpaper.
- If you want to play a short file again and again. Click on View menu and select Playlist. In the Playlist dialog, select the file and click on the icon “Repeat one“. Close the Playlist dialog and enjoy!
I forgot to mention that when you run VLC media player in DirectX video output mode, the Aero color scheme will be disabled. The Aero color scheme will be restored once you exit out VLC media player.
on May 11th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
… and if you don’t want Aero Glass disabled, try using the OpenGL or Windows GDI outputs, because it’s the conflict with DirectX rendering that forces Vista to turn off its use of it.
on January 12th, 2008 at 12:35 am
But in Vista Premium, when you choose OpenGl or Windows GDI outputs, the Wallpaper option doesn’t work.
Or is it just my computer?
on January 12th, 2008 at 7:28 am
Frost,
It only runs in DirectX mode.
on March 7th, 2008 at 10:56 am
For NON ultimate Vista, DeskScapes 2.0 should work. For Windows XP, you can use XPScene (freeware) from dreamscene.org to run DreamScene videos.
on October 10th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
wow, that tip on changing the video output to direct x helped. i now have a wallpaper video player. thanks.