mpvpaper VS ShellNewHandler

• Dynamic wallpapers via mpv
  mpvpaper leverages the full power of mpv, allowing users to set videos, GIFs, and even streaming content as their desktop wallpaper on Wayland compositors. This provides a highly dynamic and visually appealing desktop experience.
• Extensive format support
  Since it uses mpv as its backend, mpvpaper supports a vast range of video and audio formats, codecs, and protocols, including local files, URLs, and playlists, without requiring additional configuration or transcoding.
• mpv option passthrough
  Users can pass any mpv option directly to mpvpaper, giving fine-grained control over playback behavior such as looping, hardware acceleration, volume, speed, and video filters. This makes it extremely flexible and customizable.
• Wayland-native
  mpvpaper is built specifically for Wayland using the wlr-layer-shell protocol, making it a native and well-integrated solution for wlroots-based compositors like Sway and Hyprland, without relying on X11 hacks or compatibility layers.
• Lightweight and simple
  The tool is a relatively small, focused project with a straightforward command-line interface. It is easy to install, configure, and integrate into startup scripts or compositor configurations without complex setup.

Possible disadvantages

• Limited to wlroots-based compositors
  mpvpaper relies on the wlr-layer-shell protocol, which means it only works on wlroots-based Wayland compositors (e.g., Sway, Hyprland). It does not support GNOME, KDE Plasma, or other non-wlroots Wayland environments.
• Resource consumption
  Playing video wallpapers continuously can consume significant CPU and GPU resources, leading to increased power usage, higher temperatures, and potentially reduced performance for other applications, especially on lower-end hardware.
• No built-in GUI or configuration file
  mpvpaper is entirely command-line driven and lacks a graphical interface or a dedicated configuration file format. Users must manage options through command-line arguments or wrapper scripts, which can be less convenient for casual users.
• Battery drain on laptops
  Continuous video decoding for a wallpaper is particularly problematic on laptops, as it can significantly reduce battery life. There is no built-in smart pause/resume mechanism based on power state without additional scripting.
• Maintenance and community size
  As a relatively niche open-source project, mpvpaper has a small development community. Updates and bug fixes may be infrequent, and users may encounter unresolved issues or limited support compared to more mainstream tools.

No features have been listed yet.

Tracking mpvpaper since May 2026.

• I recently got libreoffice, but now the new option in right click looks like a mess. Can someone help me get rid of them please?

  Use Shell New Handler. Run the portable app and simply untick the items you don't want to appear in your new context menu. Source: about 4 years ago

• This menu should be easy to add/remove programs to... Who is really creating Access Databases from this menu often enough to keep it here? (Not me!) Is there an easy way to edit this?

  I've always used ShellNewHandler for this. It's a really simple portable utility that allows you to remove most of the items from that menu. Tested it out on Windows 11 and it's still compatible. Source: over 5 years ago