Available come January 30, 2007

Jan 8, 2007 11:34 GMT  ·  By

Are you sick and tired of the motionless, static background wallpapers in Windows? Well - if that is the case - then Windows DreamScene is the answer to all your prayers. With Windows DreamScene, Vista Ultimate users will be able to enjoy full-motion, dynamic and personalized video canvases instead of the lifeless common backgrounds. During the development phase, Windows DreamScene was referred to by the codenames Windows Desktop Motion and Borealis.

"Your desktop background comes to life with Windows DreamScene. When you download this Ultimate Extra, you can select a video for your desktop background the same way you select a stationary picture. You can choose one of the high-quality looping videos that we've included, or use a video from a company that produces content for DreamScene. You can even use your own video as a background", reads a description of the add-on supporting video wallpaper technology.

Windows DreamScene is an add-on that Microsoft will make available for Windows Vista Ultimate Edition come January 30, 2007. As Windows DreamScene works in concert with the Vista Aero Glass GUI, and therefore requires the video card horsepower necessary to run Aero.

According to Microsoft, Windows DreamScene will not put an unnecessary load on the CPU, due to the fact that the animation will be rendered via the hardware accelerated DWM, and the add-on will be sensible to the energy resources available on laptops. "If you're wondering what effect a video background might have on your battery life, don't worry. Windows DreamScene respects your power settings and pauses the video to conserve battery power," explained Microsoft.

The Redmond Company informed that Windows DreamScene supports exclusively .mpeg and .wmv video file formats. "For computers that do not support the Windows Aero desktop experience, this Extra still has something to offer: Windows DreamScene adds new positioning options for backgrounds, including stationary pictures," added Microsoft.