But what is the situation on computers where the Windows operating system reigns? Is it possible to install video wallpaper on PC? Yes, there is such a possibility, but this will require dancing with a tambourine - the operating system itself does not provide anything like that. In this article you will read detailed instructions on how to install live wallpapers on the desktop of Windows 10, as well as older operating systems.

Wallpaper Engine

Let's start with the easiest way. It consists of using the Wallpaper Engine program, distributed on Steam. Are you surprised? Yes, on Steam it has long been possible to buy not only games, but also some computer programs. Of course, Wallpaper Engine costs money. But, we must admit, the developers demand mere pennies - only 100 rubles. You cannot do without payment, since the product uses the so-called “Steam Workshop”, where all video wallpapers come from. Need I say that the hacked version of the program will not have access to the “Workshop”, and therefore the point of installing it is lost?

To install Wallpaper Engine you will first need to purchase it. To do this, you may have to register with Steam. Next, enter the name of the program into the search bar of the “Store” section and left-click on the result that pops up. The purchasing process here is no more complicated than in most online stores, but rather even easier. Payment on Steam can be made in a variety of ways. The easiest way is to use a bank card. An option is also available in the form of payment via QIWI or Yandex.Money.

How to install and configure the program

Once you purchase and install the program, it's time to launch it. The main application window contains all downloaded wallpapers. By default, there are five or six far from the best options created by the program developers. The “Workshop” tab also catches your eye. But the first thing you need to do is not visit it, but the section with settings by clicking on the gear.

The application is very flexible, it can be adjusted to a computer of any power. If you don’t want to think about the parameters, then just click on certain presets in the “Quality” subsection. Also here you can independently select FPS, resolution, and degree of anti-aliasing. Wallpaper Engine will load the video card more, the higher the parameters you set. It should be noted that launching any other program in full-screen mode freezes the operation of the video wallpaper utility. So don't worry about Wallpaper Engine consuming valuable resources while gaming.

Don't forget to visit the other settings section. Here you can select the Russian interface language, and also adjust the transparency of the desktop icons. We also recommend that you immediately turn off the wallpaper sound - it will only distract you. In the “Upload video” item, you must select the “From disk” option. Some live wallpapers for Windows weigh 1-2 GB. You won't be happy with how long it takes for them to load every time you start the operating system.

If you have two or even three monitors, then you need to visit completely different program settings. To call the corresponding window, click on the icon in the form of a monitor (located next to the same gear). Here you can choose which wallpaper will be displayed on each monitor.

Installing video wallpaper on your desktop

So, the initial setup is complete. It's time to install live wallpaper on your desktop by selecting and downloading the appropriate option. To do this, go to the “Workshop” tab. Please note that the Steam client must be running at this point. This tab may be completely empty. Don't be alarmed, you just need to click on the "Filters" button. Here you need to select the categories that the wallpaper you are looking for should correspond to. There are a lot of options. Most of the live pictures are dedicated to anime characters and Vocaloids. But you can easily find scenes from films or games. And there are so many landscapes here! If you are looking for something specific, you can use the field to enter a search query. There is also a choice of sorting methods. That is, you can order the program to display first those wallpapers that received the highest rating from users.

The main advantage of the Wallpaper Engine app is that it provides live desktop wallpapers for free. Not a single project in the “Workshop” costs money! Although some of the creations of craftsmen are so good that one could easily pay 50-100 rubles for them. It should be noted that the Steam Workshop contains more than just video wallpapers. Here you can find something like games. For example, you can set a clearing with sheep and wolves as wallpaper. Clicking on an empty space will cause a new animal to appear. Clicking on a sheep will make it start voicing. At the same time, all the animals run around the clearing, chewing grass in between. Of course, there are not many such masterpieces created for Wallpaper Engine, but they exist!

What's wrong?

It remains to add that the program also has a drawback. Some wallpapers are posted in the “Workshop” without a normal preview. That is, you can only see three or four screenshots, and the description of the wallpaper will be in English or some other language. You'll have to download the wallpaper, install it, and then decide whether to keep it. Not everyone will like the fact that live wallpapers do not start immediately after loading the operating system. The point is that the program itself needs to start first. It turns out that after turning on the computer for 30 seconds you will see a static image that you placed on the desktop before using Wallpaper Engine. If you forget about this, then the program deserves only positive ratings! It even comes with trading cards that can easily be sold on Steam. But SmartBeaver will write about them next time. And we anticipate your question: with the help of this program you can put any of your videos on your desktop, you don’t have to use only the “Workshop”.

Deskscapes

Don't want to register on Steam, a purely gaming online store? Beautiful live wallpapers will also be provided by other programs that are in no way related to it. For example, DeskScapes will allow you to replace a photo with a video. However, this program costs completely different money - they ask $7.99 for one. The application is also part of Object Desktop, a package that allows you to do completely different things with your desktop. However, a set of utilities from Stardock Software already costs several tens of dollars.

The program contains several very beautiful animated wallpapers. If this does not seem enough, the developers suggest visiting their community - from there you can download additional options. Files with live wallpapers are distributed in the .dream format - they can have a variety of animated elements. For example, from time to time birds will fly across the sky and a car will drive past the building. Flexible tools allow you to add animation even to static wallpapers! In short, DeskScapes allows you to create your own live wallpapers for Windows 7 and newer versions of the operating system. That is why the program is quite expensive.

It should be noted that this utility also supports working with two monitors. It also allows you to place a video as wallpaper. But there is one limitation: the video must be saved in WMV format. So you may need to convert. If you don’t know how to convert video from one format to another, someday our site will definitely write a separate article about this.

PUSH Video Wallpaper

The third program allows you to install live wallpaper on your table. Previously it cost about $14. But fierce competition forced the developers to greatly reduce the price tag. Now the cost of this utility ranges from 220 to 300 rubles - during holiday sales it can be bought cheaper, and at other times it is sold at a higher price. The developers also sell separate live wallpapers. The easiest way is to buy a set consisting of the program itself and all the live wallpapers - it will cost about 370-500 rubles.

It should be noted that in the case of this product, live wallpapers are different from video wallpapers. The former are sold separately, providing a wide variety of effects. To install the latter, the above-mentioned PUSH Video Wallpaper program is intended. That is, with its help you can put any video on your desktop. Absolutely anything - you can even download a video from YouTube. In this case, various settings are available - in particular, it is immediately recommended to turn off the sound. The program runs on various Microsoft operating systems, starting with Windows 7.

There is no point in talking in detail about using the application. Its interface is tailored for those for whom Windows seems like a dense forest. Just remember to make sure that the program starts immediately after the operating system starts.

DreamScene

Another way to put live wallpaper on your desktop for Windows Vista is to use DreamScene. Unfortunately, this function is present only in this operating system; it was decided to remove it from Windows 7. The function is to easily install special animated videos on your desktop. DreamScene files are located in the following path: Computer > Windows > Internet > Windows DreamScene. This is where new files downloaded from the World Wide Web need to be moved.

By default, Windows Vista users are presented with several good videos. If this doesn’t seem enough, you can search for new files on the Internet. For example, a good directory of Dream scenes is dreamscene.org.

What to do when you want to change a video? It's very simple. Right-click on any empty area of ​​the desktop. Go to Personalization > Desktop Background. Next, you need to go to “Windows DreamScene Content.” That's all, all you have to do is click on the thumbnail you like.

Unfortunately, on later operating systems there is no corresponding section; by default, only static pictures are available as wallpaper. On Windows 7 you can use DreamScene Activator. Be that as it may, this method of installing video wallpaper is very inconvenient. The thing is that you won't be able to customize the live wallpaper in any way. That is, you will not be able to somehow reduce the load on the processor or reduce the amount of RAM consumed. If the computer slows down noticeably, you will have to start converting the video, reducing its bitrate or resolution.

VLC Media Player

Many people are unaware of this, but you can install video wallpaper on your desktop even in old Windows XP. This is done, oddly enough, using VLC Media Player. This is a popular video player that is available for free. It has a very interesting function that only works in an already outdated operating system.

So, if you are still using Windows XP, then download and install VLC Media Player on your computer. Launch the media player, then pay attention to the top line - hover your mouse over the “Tools” item. In the context menu that appears, you have to click on “Settings”.

In the window that opens, you need to visit the “Video” tab. Here, opposite the “Output” item, there is a list of ways to display the picture. Select “Output video via DirectX”, then click on the “Save” button.

Now you need to open the video that you want to install on your desktop. To do this, you can download a video from the above-mentioned site dedicated to DreamScene. When playing it, hover your mouse over the “Video” item, and then click on the “Desktop Background” button. That's it! The video will now play directly below the icons. VLC Media Player needs to be placed in autorun if you want to see these video wallpapers immediately after the operating system starts. When you want to return the previous picture, you just need to click on the “Desktop Background” button again.

The disadvantage of this solution is still the same - it is impossible to somehow configure live wallpapers, which in fact are not live wallpapers. And the method only works within Windows XP - an operating system that is stored on an ever-fewer and fewer computers.

VideoWallpaper

It was possible to put videos on your desktop back in 2012. It was then that the VideoWallpaper program was released. This is a very simple utility designed for Windows XP and later versions of the operating system. The program looks very simple, it uses a traditional “windowed” interface. But if you are not an esthete, then you may well like the application.

In fact, the program has one goal - to provide the user with the ability to set some video as wallpaper. In this case, the picture can be stretched to the desired aspect ratio. A nice bonus is the creation of playlists. That is, the wallpaper can change every half hour or any other time period selected by the user.

Overall, VideoWallpaper has few features. There are no detailed settings here that affect the performance of the computer. And there is no database with suitable videos here - you will have to search for them on the Internet yourself. But the most disappointing thing is that the program is paid. However, the utility has a trial period that will help you understand whether it’s worth spending your money.

Summing up

These are a few ways to install live wallpaper on the Windows desktop. Our choice is, without a doubt, Wallpaper Engine. Wide range of settings, the ability to use on two monitors, access to numerous wallpapers - is anything more required? This program has one disadvantage - you need to be a registered Steam user. Not good news for those who don't use their computer for gaming purposes. However, no one is forcing you to buy games as well - you can quite easily limit yourself to installing only one program.

Many users Windows I'm not happy with the default interface for this OS. Therefore, programs that improve the appearance of the system are very popular. One of them is Wallpaper Engine– a utility that adds an animated image to Windows Desktop.

The development of German programmer Kristjan Skutta allows you to “revive” the interface of the operating system, while using almost no computer resources. After installing the application, the user will receive an analogue of " live wallpaper" For Android on your PC, but with wider customization options.

Wallpaper Engine can be purchased from the service Steam for 99 rubles. The program is in the Early Access stage - this means that development has not yet been completed, updates and fixes for the utility are regularly released, but it can already be used to its fullest. Release the application in Steam is not accidental: users of the service actively participate in the design and development of the project, including independently creating new content - the number of user wallpapers in Steam Workshop has already exceeded 15,000. Among them you can find themes for every taste: video games, space, anime, equalizers with music visualization, and much more.

Working with the program is very simple: just install and run it. A list of installed themes will appear in the main window; they can be sorted by name, rating, upload date, and so on.

When selecting the option the user needs, a settings menu will open where you can set various parameters: playback speed, music, color scheme, and also rate or delete the theme.

You can find new wallpapers by clicking the " Workshop" A list of topics will open in Steam Workshop, where the user can select the options he likes.

The new theme will be added to the application after clicking the " Subscribe».

Doing Desk animated, Wallpaper Engine is gentle on system resources. Many themes have virtually no impact on performance, and the program automatically pauses when you launch another full-screen application, so it will not affect the performance of, for example, a game.

The ability to set animated and interactive wallpapers appeared in Windows Vista, but in Windows 8/10, which moved to the Metro interface, this function was no longer available. Of course, with the help of third-party utilities you can enable Desktop animation, but such programs are not cheap and also have a number of limitations. An alternative is offered by the Wallpaper Engine application, distributed through Steam.

Wallpaper Engine

Class Windows customization
Platforms Windows
Developers Kristjan Skutta
Publisher Kristjan Skutta
Websites Steam

One of the most famous utilities for customizing Windows - Object Desktop from Stardock Software (yes, this is the same company that made the games Ashes of the Singularity, Galactic Civilizations and Sins of a Solar Empire) includes an application for displaying animated wallpaper – DeskScapes. But at the same time, Object Desktop costs as much as $49.99, and DeskScapes is sold separately for a considerable $9.99. A similar utility, PUSH Video Wallpaper, will cost you $14.95. Agree, against this background, Wallpaper Engine's price of only $2.79 looks ridiculous, especially considering that this program offers much greater functionality and a truly huge selection of ready-made wallpapers.

Moreover, these can be two-dimensional animated wallpapers, three-dimensional scenes, the details of which can be changed on the fly, interactive wallpapers, video files (mp4, WebM, avi, m4v, mov, wmv), any websites, even small gaming applications. Wallpaper Engine is very easy to set up and use, and when running full-screen games, wallpaper playback is paused and the application frees up resources. CPU load and memory usage depend on the specific wallpaper and can increase significantly when the anti-aliasing quality and refresh rate are set to high.

The main feature of the application is support for Steam Workshop, which, despite the fact that Wallpaper Engine has not yet left Early Access, already has almost 35 thousand different wallpapers. And although most are animated frames of anime girls, among them you can find really great wallpapers on the theme of various games (Star Citizen, The Witcher, Dark Souls), science fiction works, etc.

How to install live wallpaper on your desktop? This user question is the most popular. The most efficient and effective way is specialized programs designed to perform this task.

With their help, live wallpapers can be installed on your device for free and displayed on the screen. The most optimal program to perform this task is Wallpaper engine.

Benefits of the program

The key advantages of wallpaper engine are:

• ease of installation and use;
• light weight of the program;
• efficient operation, without freezes;
• inexpensive cost of the program;
• full support for various operating systems: windows 10 and older versions.

How to use the program?

Starting the program

Launching the program does not require separate installation on the local disk of the computer. After unpacking the downloaded archive with this software, you just need to select the version that suits you (x32 or x64) and run it.

Set wallpaper

How to install live wallpaper on your desktop using this program? Wallpaper engine is completely simple to use. In the main Wallpaper engine window, you need to select wallpaper from the gallery and click on the “OK” button. After this, the wallpaper will instantly appear on your desktop.

Remove wallpaper

Uninstalling in Wallpaper engine is as easy as installing. To do this, you need to click on the “Remove Wallpaper” button. After this, the wallpaper will be removed from the desktop.

Set your own wallpaper

In addition to those available in the gallery, the user can use his own wallpapers. To do this, in Wallpaper engine you will need to click on the “Open from File” button and specify the path that leads to the image of interest. It will be added to the gallery, after which it will be possible to install it on your desktop.

Where to download?

Where can I download such a program for Windows 10? The program for this OS version or lower can be downloaded from wallpaperengine.info. Wallpaper engine can also be downloaded from other resources; you just need to enter the corresponding query into Google.

Possible problems and solutions

Below are the most common problems encountered by users of the program and anyone who wants to purchase live wallpapers for free and install them on their desktop. The most common ways to solve problems that arise when working with the program are described.

1. How to install live wallpaper on Windows 7?

The program supports various versions of Windows OS, including seven, so the installation principle is the same as in Windows 10. How to install live wallpaper on Windows is given in this article above.

2. The program does not start.

3. How can I install live wallpaper on my desktop in Windows 10?

According to the instructions given in this article above.

4. What other programs are there to install live wallpapers?

There are many of them. For example, Desktop Live Wallpapers or PUSH Video Wallpaper. You should read the instructions for them to learn how you can install live wallpaper on your screen using these programs.

5. On what sites can I download new options and install downloaded live wallpapers?

There are many sites, to find them you need to enter the corresponding query in Google.