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TrueScot
TrueScot
Join Date 08/2004
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Some Dreams don't work at all.

Dreams produce black screen.

October 23, 2008 10:01:42 AM from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Why do some dreams (e.g Sandbar, Bars, Matrixrainish, Early Morning) result in a black screen with no animation at all? If the Dream resolution is larger than the screen resolution will the Dream fail or will it be adjusted with a new screen ratio?. I think the latter is correct since some dreams look like they are fitted to a different screen ratio.

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TrueScot
ZubaZ
Join Date 11/2001
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Reply #1 October 23, 2008 10:05:54 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

DeskScapes should resize or allow you to resize in it's settings.

As for some dreams not playing. . . that may be due to them being encoded in a codec you don't have.

What version of Vista do you have?

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TrueScot
TrueScot
Join Date 08/2004
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Reply #2 October 23, 2008 12:55:36 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

 

 

Vista Service Pack 1 - Installed after I found this Dream problem. SP1 has made no difference to the Dreams which dont work!

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ZubaZ
Join Date 11/2001
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Reply #3 October 23, 2008 1:00:11 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Vista Home, home preimium, business, ultimate?

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muckyman
Join Date 12/2003
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Reply #4 October 23, 2008 2:46:16 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

i do believe if you install the trial version of power DVD, it will install the mpeg codecs you need to play dream files.

i may be wrong but i`m sure i did that when i 1st got vista.

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CarGuy1
Join Date 03/2007
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Reply #5 October 23, 2008 3:45:22 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Not sure about the others but Sandbar and Bars are MPEG2 dreams.

I have to agree Zubaz, it's probably a codec issue.

You can get a free one from the following link if the method that muckyman suggested doesn't work for you.

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/VirtualDub-MPEG2.htm

Let us know if this fixes your problem.

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TrueScot
Join Date 08/2004
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Reply #6 October 25, 2008 7:50:28 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Hi Zubaz, sorry my fault. Its Home Premium, with SP1. Right, I'll try new Codecs and let you all know.

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M-203
Join Date 07/2008
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Reply #7 October 25, 2008 8:11:18 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums


DeskScapes is Stardocks' puppy,
so why don't they licence a codec or write thier own, and make that standard for dreams,
delivering and installing said codec WITH the DeskScapes program.


Thusly, EVERYONE that buys the Deskscapes program, will have the required codec.
Result:  end of codec problem!

Seems pretty easy to me, but if I'm off base here, feel free to correct me.

 

 

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TrueScot
Join Date 08/2004
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Reply #8 October 25, 2008 10:06:50 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Just before I downloaded a raft of new Codecs I went through every .Dream I had and many of them didn't work either.  I couldn't believe every one of the .Dreams would stop working practically overnight. The one thing I remembered had changed was the installation of Silverlight. I removed that and still nothing.

Just by accident really, I chose the bottom left 'Fit to screen' performance settings option. It had been inadvertantly set to 'Fit to screen with cropping' and et-voila, it worked. All the other display options worked also. Only the 'Fit to screen with cropping' didn't work. It didn't hang the machine but it did completely lost the display, no animation, no fixed background, just a black screen. Makes me wonder when you would use this display setting at all.

However, thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions.

 

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katiemarienelson71730
Join Date 12/2013
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Reply #9 January 31, 2014 5:16:39 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

There is a codec problem for Windows 7 Home and Starter Users. From what I saw you would have to upgrade your windows to get more Mpeg2 codecs but there is a work around for any dreams that use MPEG video formats. Just rebuild them with the dream maker tool after converting them from MPEG to WMV using a Freeware program called FreeStudio. First you need to know where it stores the video files that are to be used as your
dream scene. They are stored in C:/ProgramData/Stardock/DeskScapes/ExtractedData/ Folder. This is where you will be looking for files to convert to wmv format.

 

 

Once you have DVD Videosoft's Free Studio Installed:

Click the green button for DVD & VIDEO

 

Now click Free AVI Video Converter!

Convert using High Quality Setting. Screen Resolution is a key factor.

From here your video is converted and you can open up Dream maker and repack the file using the original details such as the person who created it etc and giving it the same name or relabeling like Data Scan WMV. 

I have tested using this method on a couple that gave me the MPEG2 codec error saying the video was corrupt or no compatable MPEG-2 Decoder was present and managed to get every one I tried to work just fine in Windows 7 Home.

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katiemarienelson71730
Join Date 12/2013
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Reply #10 January 31, 2014 5:19:15 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

  

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katiemarienelson71730
Join Date 12/2013
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Reply #11 January 31, 2014 5:28:01 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

To go a step further making it easier make a folder in your My Documents/My Videos folder named "Dream Scenes"

Then navigate to the root of the folder and do a search for "mpg"

Select all of the files and copy them over to the folder you created for re-packing this way you can rebuild them all at once.

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katiemarienelson71730
Join Date 12/2013
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Reply #12 January 31, 2014 5:49:49 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

To get them to show in the "C:/ProgramData/Stardock/DeskScapes/ExtractedData/ Folder" right click on your desktop configuire deskscapes then click each dream DO NOT CLICK THE APPLY TO DESKTOP BUTTON simply go through them clicking them one by one it will show a checkmark on the images in the list as it tries to give you a preview it extracts the MPG video from the .DREAM file to "C:/ProgramData/Stardock/DeskScapes/ExtractedData/" Folder

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katiemarienelson71730
Join Date 12/2013
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Reply #13 January 31, 2014 5:54:50 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

1280x720 seems to be full quality and more compatible plus it has the option to stretch to screen.

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katiemarienelson71730
Join Date 12/2013
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Reply #14 January 31, 2014 6:43:52 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

 oh yeah just tested some full screen in media player 12 at 1280x720 res on loop. Very high quality! My monitor is high as it will go at 1366 x 768. aquarium II.wmv   wait till my cat gets to finally see that one!

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Jafo
Join Date 03/2001
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Reply #15 January 31, 2014 6:48:16 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Just to remind people.  This thread is 6 years old.  The chances are the OP has resolved his/her issue....and/or moved on from this forum.

There IS NO value in resurrecting an ancient thread....other than 'novelty'....

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CarGuy1
Join Date 03/2007
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Reply #16 February 1, 2014 9:54:05 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Katie,

I replied to you PM.

I would like to point out that WMV is a horrible format to use for dreams as they use an extremely high amount of CPU power.

If your on a laptop, your machine will run much hotter than necessary if you run a WMV dream continuously. Also, so your aware, most WMVs hesitate at the loop.

Lastly, there are plenty of codec packs that include a mpeg2 codec. Install one and remove the Windows update KB2670838 and you will be able to run any dream in the gallery that's in mpeg2 format on Windows 7.

Your computer performance will be better by using mpeg2 dreams since it will be using less CPU power and running cooler.

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