Windows 11 Insider Reboots DreamScene with Native Video Wallpapers

Microsoft has quietly reintroduced the ability to run video files as desktop backgrounds in Windows 11 Insider builds, a modern reboot of the long‑forgotten Vista era “DreamScene” and a sign that native animated wallpaper support may soon be a standard personalization option for millions of users.

Background / Overview​

Windows has flirted with animated wallpapers before. In 2007 Microsoft shipped Windows DreamScene for Vista Ultimate, which let WMV and MPG clips play behind icons and windows; the feature was later removed as Windows moved away from that experiment. Third‑party apps — most notably Wallpaper Engine and Lively Wallpaper — filled the gap, proving demand for moving and interactive backgrounds without OS‑level support.
What’s new now is that Windows 11’s compositor and personalization UI appear to accept ordinary video containers as first‑class wallpaper assets in recent Insider Preview builds. Community sleuths first exposed the capability in Dev and Beta channel builds (the 26x20.6690 family is cited repeatedly in tester reports), and the implementation appears intentionally simple: choose a supported video file in Settings > Personalization > Background (or via a File Explorer context action) and the clip becomes your looping desktop background.

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What the preview actually contains​

Supported file containers and behavior​

Early hands‑on posts and independent writeups report the OS recognizing common video containers including .mp4, .mkv, .mov, .wmv, .avi, .m4v (and in some traces .webm). The preview treats chosen clips as wallpaper assets that loop while the desktop compositor is active. That means the video will play whenever the desktop is visible and will stop if the desktop is not being composited (for example, when the screen is locked). Reported playback behavior mirrors the simplicity of setting an image as wallpaper.
Important technical caveat: container support does not guarantee that every codec inside those containers will decode on every PC. Playback depends on the codecs available through Windows’ media stack (Media Foundation) and on whether the hardware has a supported hardware decoder (H.264, HEVC/H.265, AV1, etc.). For maximum compatibility, an H.264 MP4 remains the safest choice for now.

Builds, flags and the community discovery​

The capability has been observed hidden inside Insider Preview builds reported as Build 26220.6690 (Dev) and 26120.6690 (Beta) or generally described as the 26x20.xxxx family. Community feature toggles identify a feature flag exposed in that code; testers have reported the numeric feature ID 57645315 and have used the community tool ViVeTool to flip it on for experimentation. These identifiers and the associated workflow have been repeated in multiple independent reports.

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How to try it now (Insider method)​

The following steps summarize how early testers have been enabling the feature in current Insider builds. This is experimental and gated behind Insider controls; proceed only on a non‑critical device or after backing up important data.

• Join the Windows Insider Program (Settings → Windows Update → Windows Insider Program) and enroll your Microsoft account in the Beta or Dev channel. The Beta channel is generally less risky than Dev for day‑to‑day use.
• Update Windows and confirm your build number using winver (Windows key + R, then type winver). Make sure you’re on a version in the reported 26x20 family.
• Download ViVeTool from its official repository and extract it to an easy path such as C:\ViVeTool. ViVeTool is a community utility commonly used by Insiders to enable hidden flags; it is not an official Microsoft tool.
• Open an elevated Command Prompt (Run as administrator), change to the ViVeTool folder, and run:
  vivetool /enable /id:57645315
  Then restart Explorer.exe or reboot to surface the hidden UI.
• Open Settings → Personalization → Background. Choose Picture from the background drop‑down if required, then click Browse photos and select an MP4 (or supported) video file. The picker will register the clip and it should begin looping on the desktop after you close Settings.

Note: using ViVeTool to enable internal feature flags is a community practice for testing. It bypasses Microsoft’s staged rollout, so behavior may differ from what Microsoft later ships officially. ViVeTool is not supported by Microsoft; use it at your own risk.

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Hands‑on details and user experience notes​

Several testers have shared observations useful to anyone experimenting now:

• The system will crop or letterbox videos to allow them to fill your desktop without stretching — portrait videos may be cropped to fit a wide monitor. Expect the compositor to preserve aspect ratio rather than skew content.
• Testers ran a 4K 60fps nature clip ~5½ minutes long (~1GB) and reported smooth looping without sound. Early community posts suggest the system can handle large, long clips, though this may vary by hardware and codecs. This “no practical limit” observation is based on hands‑on tests and not an official Microsoft limit — treat it as anecdotal until Microsoft documents limits.
• The video continues to play while the desktop is composited behind open windows and the Start menu; it stops when appropriate compositor state changes occur (lock screen, remote session policies, etc.).

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Alternatives: when to use third‑party tools instead​

If you prefer not to run Insider builds or flip hidden flags, mature third‑party apps remain the practical route for animated wallpapers today:

• Lively Wallpaper — free and open source, available via the Microsoft Store; supports local videos, web pages and YouTube URLs, multi‑monitor setups, and advanced interactive options. The app needs to remain running to keep the wallpaper active (it minimizes to the system tray).
• Wallpaper Engine — a commercial Steam favorite that offers rich interactive wallpapers, integrations with peripherals, easy workshop sharing, and multilayer scenes. It’s feature‑rich and optimized for power usage in many scenarios.

Both offer features that a minimal OS‑level video‑as‑wallpaper implementation may not — interactive layers, performance throttling, per‑monitor control, and curated workshop libraries. For power users and creators, third‑party engines remain compelling.

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What this revival solves — and what it doesn’t​

The wins​

• Lower friction. Users can set a looping MP4 as a background without installing extra software, and the workflow mirrors image selection in Settings. This reduces security exposure and complexity for casual users.
• Broad format scope. Early traces show multiple container types supported, which simplifies use of common clips created on phones and cameras.
• Nostalgia + polish. The move is a tasteful nod to DreamScene and demonstrates Microsoft listening to personalization requests, while modern codecs and hardware make animation more practical than in 2007.

The shortcomings and open questions​

• Battery and power impact. Continuous playback of a 4K clip draws GPU or media‑decoder resources. Laptops and energy‑constrained devices will likely suffer measurable battery drain unless Microsoft ships conservative defaults and throttles playback when on battery. Early previews do not document power policies. Treat battery impacts as likely until measured on representative hardware.
• Codec and hardware variability. Because Windows uses media pipelines and hardware decoders vary by CPU/GPU and OEM drivers, some files may fail to play or fall back to CPU decoding, which increases power and thermal load. Microsoft has not published an official codec support matrix for this feature yet.
• Enterprise control and manageability. Organizations will need admin controls and policy options (group policy, Microsoft Endpoint Manager) to restrict animated wallpapers on managed machines. There is no public guidance yet about enterprise policies for this capability. Administrators should expect to test and request controls when the feature progresses through Insider rings.
• Accessibility and distraction. Animated backgrounds can be distracting for users with attention or vestibular sensitivities. Microsoft must decide whether to include built‑in accessibility toggles (reduce motion, static only for Ease of Access settings) to avoid regressions for vulnerable users. Early previews lack this public documentation.

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Security and privacy considerations​

• A local video file used as wallpaper does not introduce additional network exposure on its own, but using third‑party engines or entering remote URLs (Lively can accept web URLs) means your system may fetch remote content. That raises privacy and content‑security questions. Users and admins should avoid unknown or untrusted online sources for dynamic wallpapers.
• Running Insider builds and enabling hidden flags exposes devices to features not fully hardened for security or stability. Insiders should isolate testing to secondary devices and follow organizational change controls when evaluating preview functionality.

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Practical tips for testers and early adopters​

• Prefer the Beta Insider channel for the best balance of stability and early access; use Dev only on test rigs.
• Use H.264‑encoded MP4 clips for best compatibility across systems until Microsoft publishes a codec guide.
• Test battery and CPU/GPU utilization before deploying: capture runtime traces and check whether playback uses hardware decode paths (Device Manager and OEM tools can show active decoders). If CPU usage is high, revert to a static background.
• If you prefer not to toggle hidden flags or join Insiders, install Lively Wallpaper for a feature‑rich, safer route that remains supported by its own app lifecycle. Lively also provides URL sources and multi‑monitor controls that early OS support may not match.

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Enterprise and admin guidance (early)​

• Evaluate on sample fleet images before broad enablement.
• Validate battery impact on representative laptop models.
• Monitor for driver or codec failures; prefer vendor‑supported decoders.
• Push an organizational policy to disable animated wallpapers if distraction, support load, or security concerns arise — anticipate Microsoft to add such policy hooks as the feature approaches general availability.

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Critical analysis: should Microsoft bake this into the OS?​

Bringing animated video wallpapers into the OS is an eminently reasonable personalization move: it reduces reliance on third‑party code and lowers the bar for casual users who only want a simple looping motif on their desktop. The implementation described by preview reports looks intentionally minimalist — treat a video file as another wallpaper type — and that design should reduce attack surface compared to full interactive ecosystems.
However, success depends on three things Microsoft has not yet articulated publicly: sensible power defaults, broad and robust decoder handling, and enterprise/manageability controls. Absent those, the feature risks becoming a source of battery complaints, inconsistent experiences across hardware, and support tickets for enterprise IT. The OS must also preserve accessibility settings so users with motion sensitivities can opt for static backgrounds by default. Early signals suggest a conservative, incremental rollout (Insiders → Beta → Stable) is likely, which is the right pattern for this kind of user‑facing capability.

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Predictions and what to watch for​

• Microsoft will likely add explicit power and battery profiles for animated wallpapers (e.g., pause on battery or when temperature thresholds are met). Watch Insider release notes and Settings UI changes for this.
• Expect admin controls via Group Policy or Microsoft Endpoint Manager as the feature moves closer to general availability; organizations should lobby for these if they are not present in early releases.
• Microsoft may restrict lock screen usage or limit wallpaper behavior in remote/VDI sessions to avoid performance and user‑experience problems; early reports indicate the preview is desktop‑only.

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Conclusion​

The reappearance of DreamScene‑style video wallpapers in Windows 11 Insider builds is both nostalgic and practical: modern GPUs, codecs, and media pipelines make animation far more feasible than in 2007, and providing the capability natively simplifies personalization for casual users. Early preview traces and hands‑on reports document a straightforward workflow (Video as wallpaper via Settings), support for common containers, and a community‑documented feature flag (57645315) that can be toggled with ViVeTool for testing.
That pragmatic simplicity is the feature’s strength — but it is also its risk. Without clear power management defaults, comprehensive codec guidance, accessible controls, and enterprise policy hooks, native animated wallpapers have the potential to frustrate users and admins alike. For now, Insiders and enthusiasts can experiment cautiously; mainstream users who prefer stability should wait for Microsoft’s official rollout or use mature third‑party tools like Lively Wallpaper and Wallpaper Engine until the OS‑level feature reaches general availability and MS publishes operational guidance.
This revival may be short and celebratory, or it may mark the start of a broader personalization renaissance in Windows — either way, the return of video wallpapers is a clear sign that Microsoft is willing to bring back small, delight‑driven features when the platform is ready to do them right.

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Source: theregister.com Windows 11 gets Vista-era animated wallpaper: How to get it

 

[ChatGPT]

Microsoft has quietly started testing a native “video wallpaper” feature in Windows 11 Insider preview builds — a modern revival of Vista’s DreamScene that lets you set common video files (MP4, MKV, MOV and others) as looping desktop backgrounds directly from Settings or File Explorer.

Background​

Windows personalization has long been a battleground between built‑in features and vibrant third‑party ecosystems. Microsoft experimented with animated desktop backgrounds before, most notably with Windows DreamScene on Windows Vista, but that capability disappeared in later releases and left enthusiasts to rely on tools such as Wallpaper Engine and Lively Wallpaper for animated or interactive backgrounds. The recent Insider traces suggest Microsoft is returning a pared‑down, first‑party video wallpaper experience to Windows 11 — integrated into the same Personalization flow used for static images.
This discovery surfaced in Dev/Beta channel builds identified by community sleuths (notably in builds in the 26×20.6690 series) and is currently gated behind an experimental feature flag. Early reporting and hands‑on snippets show the UI exposing video files alongside images in Settings > Personalization > Background and adding a contextual “Set as wallpaper” action to File Explorer for supported video files.

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What Microsoft is testing (the facts)​

• Build and gating: The capability has been observed in Windows 11 Insider Dev/Beta preview build series 26×20.6690 and is hidden behind an internal feature flag.
• Supported containers: Test instances show support for mainstream video containers such as .mp4, .m4v, .mov, .wmv, .avi, .mkv and .webm. Actual codec support will still depend on installed decoders and hardware decode capabilities.
• How it behaves: Selected clips loop while the desktop is visible and appear in the normal Background picker; the experience appears intentionally simple and file‑based rather than a feature‑rich engine. Early traces indicate playback is paused when desktop is obscured (e.g., full‑screen apps), though behavior may evolve.
• How to enable (Insider testers): Reports indicate the feature can be surfaced by enabling a specific feature ID (commonly reported as 57645315) in Insider builds and restarting explorer.exe — a developer‑style toggle rather than a consumer rollout. This is experimental and requires Insider enrollment.

These are the core, verifiable technical claims observed in reporting and community testing to date. Multiple independent outlets and testers have reproduced these observations in the same preview builds, which strengthens credibility.

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Why it matters — the user and product perspective​

Bringing native video wallpaper support into Windows 11 addresses a long‑running personalization gap. Many users have adopted third‑party tools to obtain animated backgrounds; integrating a simple, first‑party option reduces friction for casual users who only want to set a looping clip without learning or purchasing extra software. The move also signals Microsoft’s willingness to re‑introduce nostalgia features in a modern, streamlined form.

• For mainstream users: a low‑friction way to add motion to the desktop without external apps.
• For enthusiasts: a welcome nod to DreamScene, but not a replacement for full‑feature engines.
• For enterprises and IT admins: a new personalization vector to manage, restrict, or enable via policy if it reaches stable channels.

Community and forum activity around this discovery highlights both excitement and caution; the change is nostalgic and practical, but it also raises immediate questions about power, policy, and compatibility. The Windows community has been tracking this development and discussing its implications across forums and specialist outlets.

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Technical verification and cross‑checks​

To ensure the most important claims are verifiable, the following cross‑checks were performed against independent reporting:

• Multiple outlets (PCWorld, The Verge, Tom’s Hardware) independently reported the presence of video wallpaper traces in recent Insider builds and documented the same basic behavior and build identifiers. This confirms the basic existence of the feature in Insider channels.
• Format support lists and the enabling mechanism (feature ID 57645315 + explorer restart) were reproduced in hands‑on reporting and community screenshots; Tom’s Hardware and other hands‑on reports match the same feature ID and instructions for Insider testing. That lends credibility to the enabling steps shared by testers. If you are not on the Insider channel, these steps are not applicable and attempting to enable internal features on production machines is not recommended.
• Multiple articles call out caution around power and codec behavior — these are observations and risk areas rather than definitive showstoppers; hardware decode availability and Microsoft’s default power policies will determine real‑world battery and thermal impact. These same concerns appear across coverage, reinforcing that power management is the central unknown.

Where reporting differs (e.g., whether playback pauses automatically when the desktop is not visible, or which exact builds surface the capability), those items remain experimental and subject to change as Microsoft iterates. Any claims about release dates, final UI polish, or enterprise controls should be treated as provisional until Microsoft publishes official release notes.

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How to test it today (Insider steps)​

• Join the Windows Insider Program and enroll a device in Dev or Beta channels (for experimental features only).
• Install the relevant preview build noted by community reports (Dev/Beta 26×20.6690 series or later where the traces appear).
• Locate and enable the internal feature ID commonly reported as 57645315 (this is an Insider/developer toggle; interface and exact location may vary by build).
• Restart the Explorer process (Task Manager → restart explorer.exe) to ensure the Settings UI picks up the new capability.
• Open Settings → Personalization → Background or right‑click a supported video in File Explorer and choose Set as wallpaper.
• Observe playback behavior across battery vs plugged‑in modes, multi‑monitor setups, and when switching to full‑screen apps.

A few important caveats: enable this only on non‑critical systems or test hardware; these flags are experimental and Microsoft can change or remove them at any time. The above steps are derived from hands‑on reports and community reproductions, not from official Microsoft documentation.

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UX and feature scope — what to expect​

Microsoft’s initial approach appears deliberately conservative:

• The feature is file‑based and integrates into the existing Background picker rather than shipping a new control panel. Expect simple looping and basic playback controls (play/pause when desktop visible/hidden), not advanced effects.
• There is no evidence yet that the lock screen will support video wallpapers in this implementation; current observations show desktop‑only behavior.
• Third‑party apps like Wallpaper Engine will remain relevant for advanced needs — per‑monitor animations, interactive scenes, performance tuning, overlays, streaming integration, and community content are outside the scope of a minimal native implementation.

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Strengths — why this is a smart move​

• Lower friction for casual users: Making video wallpapers a native option removes the need to find, vet, and install third‑party apps for simple animation needs. This increases accessibility to personalization features and aligns with consumer expectations for modern OS polish.
• Consistency and security advantages: A first‑party implementation lets Microsoft apply platform‑level sandboxing, codec handling, and power policies centrally — something third‑party engines can’t guarantee across all devices. This reduces fragmentation and potential security vectors associated with unsigned third‑party software.
• Backward‑compatible nostalgia without bloat: For many users, the appeal is nostalgia plus convenience. Delivering a pared‑down DreamScene‑style experience satisfies that desire without recreating the complexity and resource demands of earlier implementations. Community commentary indicates this is a welcome feature for many.

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Risks, unknowns, and downsides​

• Battery and thermal impact: If Microsoft ships permissive defaults (e.g., video wallpapers that continue decoding on battery and under heavy conditions), laptops could see meaningful battery drain and potential thermal noise. The degree of hardware decode support (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel) and whether Microsoft uses hardware acceleration versus software decoding will heavily influence this. Multiple outlets flagged this as the primary unknown.
• Enterprise manageability: Without Group Policy or Intune controls to restrict animated backgrounds, administrators could face support overhead or policy conflicts in managed fleets. Enterprises typically want deterministic behavior and conservative defaults; Microsoft will need to ship enterprise controls before this is broadly adoptable in corporate environments.
• Codec and compatibility fragmentation: Supporting containers is simple; supporting every codec inside them is not. Users could run into cases where a container plays on one machine and not another depending on installed codecs or GPU decoder capabilities, leading to inconsistent experiences.
• Third‑party ecosystem displacement concerns: While casual users benefit from a native option, advanced users and creators rely on the rich feature sets of third‑party engines. A native baseline risks fragmenting attention and potentially changing the monetization dynamics or user base for those apps; however, those apps will likely continue to thrive by offering deeper features.
• Accessibility and Reduce Motion: Animated wallpapers intersect with accessibility preferences like Reduce Motion; Microsoft must ensure that motion respects accessibility settings and system‑wide preferences to avoid harming users with vestibular disorders. Early traces do not clarify these specifics.

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Recommendations for different audiences​

• Enthusiasts and power users: Test only on secondary hardware. Measure power, CPU/GPU usage, and behavior with your typical workflows before adopting on a daily driver. Keep Wallpaper Engine or Lively Wallpaper if you depend on per‑monitor control and interactivity.
• Laptop users worried about battery life: Wait for official rollout and documentation. When testing, observe battery drain over mixed workloads and watch device thermals; insist on conservative defaults (pause on battery, pause when desktop hidden).
• IT administrators: Prepare policy options and pilot testing. Expect Microsoft to add Group Policy/Intune hooks before wide enterprise rollout; start drafting guidance for end users and include animated wallpapers in device configuration baselines.
• Casual users: Enjoy the convenience once it hits stable channels, but don’t install Insider builds on mission‑critical machines. Native video wallpapers will be a delightful personalization feature for many, provided Microsoft ships sensible defaults.

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The broader ecosystem impact​

The move to absorb a common third‑party feature into Windows mirrors a pattern: major OS vendors often reabsorb popular functionality to make the baseline experience more capable and reduce dependency on external tools. For Microsoft, the strategic benefits include tighter integration with system power management, accessibility, and security models. For developers of third‑party wallpaper tools, this is a reminder that their value proposition needs to be more specialized and deeper than the mere act of playing video in the background.
Community and industry coverage indicate this implementation is intentionally minimal — good for everyday users, but not a substitute for the rich ecosystems that emerged to satisfy creators and prosumers. The healthy competition will likely push third‑party apps to innovate further (interactive wallpapers, deeper hardware integration, marketplace content), while Microsoft maintains a conservative, broadly compatible baseline.

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Final analysis — balanced optimism​

The return of a DreamScene‑style capability to Windows 11 is both a nostalgic win and a pragmatic addition to personalization. It checks a long‑standing demand box and does so in a way that appears to favor safety and simplicity over feature bloat. That strategy makes sense: most users only want a few, well‑implemented personalization options rather than a new surface drawer of complex settings.
However, the feature will only be a clear success if Microsoft addresses the major open questions before wide rollout:

• Ship conservative power defaults (pause on battery, pause when desktop hidden).
• Provide enterprise controls (Group Policy/Intune) and clear documentation for admins.
• Respect accessibility settings such as Reduce Motion by default.
• Clarify codec/decoder behavior so users understand when a file will play or not.

If Microsoft meets these conditions, the feature will likely be a tasteful and useful addition to Windows 11’s personalization suite. If not, the result could be user frustration, battery complaints, or an immediate reversion to mature third‑party engines.

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Conclusion​

A native video wallpaper feature in Windows 11 is no mere novelty — it restores a user expectation that Microsoft once briefly satisfied with DreamScene and which third‑party apps have long serviced. Early Insider evidence shows Microsoft is testing a simple, file‑based implementation in the 26×20.6690 preview builds, supporting common video containers and integrating the capability into Settings and File Explorer. That verification comes from multiple independent hands‑on reports and community findings.
The promise is straightforward: easy, low‑friction personalization for regular users. The pitfalls are also clear: power management, enterprise policy, codec fragmentation, and accessibility. The coming weeks and Insider iterations should reveal how Microsoft tunes defaults and delivers policy and accessibility hooks. Enthusiasts can experiment carefully on non‑critical hardware; everyone else should watch for official release notes and management controls before adopting video wallpapers in production environments.
This return of DreamScene’s spirit is a welcome reminder that operating systems evolve with user feedback — sometimes by adding fresh capabilities, and sometimes by bringing back what users loved in a safer, modern form.

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Source: Neowin Neowin