Recent changes to Engine Comparison

Engine Comparison modified by Bayram Emekli

Bayram Emekli — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 04:15:48 -0000

--- v2
+++ v3
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 # Engine Comparison

-This page is a side-by-side matrix of Sucrose's **seven render engines** — their underlying technology, the wallpaper types each can render, runtime requirements, interactivity, and support for the audio-reactive / system-status JavaScript APIs. Use it to decide which engine to assign per type on the **Settings → Wallpaper** page. Each wallpaper has a **type** (Gif, Url, Web, Video, YouTube, Application), and Sucrose maps that type to a configurable engine, launching the chosen `.exe` as a child process behind the desktop icons.
+This page is a side-by-side matrix of Sucrose's **eight render engines** — their underlying technology, the wallpaper types each can render, runtime requirements, interactivity, and support for the audio-reactive / system-status JavaScript APIs. Use it to decide which engine to assign per type on the **Settings → Wallpaper** page. Each wallpaper has a **type** (Gif, Url, Web, Video, YouTube, Application), and Sucrose maps that type to a configurable engine, launching the chosen `.exe` as a child process behind the desktop icons.

 > **Audience:** users and developers. For the conceptual overview and launch mechanics, see [Engines-Overview](Engines-Overview).

 ## Contents

-- [The seven engines](#the-seven-engines)
+- [The eight engines](#the-eight-engines)

 - [Engine enum order](#engine-enum-order)
 - [Type → allowed engines](#type--allowed-engines)
 - [Full capability matrix](#full-capability-matrix)
@@ -16,11 +16,12 @@
 - [Choosing an engine](#choosing-an-engine)
 - [See also](#see-also)

-## The seven engines
+## The eight engines

 | Engine | Assembly | Underlying tech | Renders |
 |---|---|---|---|
 | [MpvPlayer](Engine-MpvPlayer) | `Sucrose.Live.MpvPlayer.exe` | **libmpv** (native, via `Sucrose.Mpv.NET`) | Gif, Video |
+| [VlcPlayer](Engine-VlcPlayer) | `Sucrose.Live.VlcPlayer.exe` | **libVLC** (native, via LibVLCSharp.WPF) | Gif, Video |
 | [WebView](Engine-WebView) | `Sucrose.Live.WebView.exe` | **Microsoft Edge WebView2** (Chromium) | Gif, Url, Web, Video, YouTube |
 | [CefSharp](Engine-CefSharp) | `Sucrose.Live.CefSharp.exe` | **CEF / CefSharp** (Chromium Embedded, offscreen) | Gif, Url, Web, Video, YouTube |
 | [Nebula](Engine-Nebula) | `Sucrose.Live.Nebula.exe` | **WPF `MediaElement`** (Windows Media / DirectShow) | Video |
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@
     :::mermaid
     flowchart LR
         Mpv["MpvPlayer"] --> Gif & Video

+        Vlc["VlcPlayer"] --> Gif & Video
         WV["WebView"] --> Gif & Url & Web & Video & YouTube
         Cef["CefSharp"] --> Gif & Url & Web & Video & YouTube
         Neb["Nebula"] --> Video
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@
 The internal `EngineType` enum (`src/Shared/Sucrose.Shared.Dependency/Enum/EngineType.cs`) defines the canonical engine order, which is used as integer indices:

     :::csharp

-    internal enum EngineType { AuroraLive, NebulaLive, VexanaLive, XavierLive, WebViewLive, CefSharpLive, MpvPlayerLive }
+    internal enum EngineType { AuroraLive, NebulaLive, VexanaLive, XavierLive, WebViewLive, CefSharpLive, MpvPlayerLive, VlcPlayerLive }

 The six wallpaper types are defined in `WallpaperType.cs`:

@@ -58,10 +60,10 @@

 | Type | Allowed engines | Default |
 |---|---|---|
-| Gif (`GifEngineType`) | Vexana, Xavier, WebView, CefSharp, MpvPlayer | **MpvPlayer** |
+| Gif (`GifEngineType`) | Vexana, Xavier, WebView, CefSharp, MpvPlayer, VlcPlayer | **MpvPlayer** |
 | Url (`UrlEngineType`) | WebView, CefSharp | **CefSharp** |
 | Web (`WebEngineType`) | WebView, CefSharp | **CefSharp** |
-| Video (`VideoEngineType`) | Nebula, WebView, CefSharp, MpvPlayer | **MpvPlayer** |
+| Video (`VideoEngineType`) | Nebula, WebView, CefSharp, MpvPlayer, VlcPlayer | **MpvPlayer** |
 | YouTube (`YouTubeEngineType`) | WebView, CefSharp | **CefSharp** |
 | Application (`ApplicationEngineType`) | Aurora (only) | **Aurora** |

@@ -82,6 +84,7 @@
 | Engine | Tech | Gif | Url | Web | Video | YouTube | Application | Interactive | Audio/System data |
 |---|---|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|:--:|
 | **MpvPlayer** | libmpv | ✔ (default) | – | – | ✔ (default) | – | – | No | No |
+| **VlcPlayer** | libVLC | ✔ | – | – | ✔ | – | – | No | No |
 | **WebView** | Edge WebView2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | – | Yes | Yes (Web only) |
 | **CefSharp** | CEF / CefSharp | ✔ | ✔ (default) | ✔ (default) | ✔ | ✔ (default) | – | Yes | Yes (Web only) |
 | **Nebula** | WPF MediaElement | – | – | – | ✔ | – | – | No | No |
@@ -93,13 +96,14 @@


 - "Audio/System data" means the JavaScript audio-reactive and system-status APIs (`SucroseAudioData`, `SucroseProcessorData`, etc.). These are delivered **only for the Web type on WebView or CefSharp**. See [Create-Audio-API](Create-Audio-API) and [Create-System-API](Create-System-API).
 - MpvPlayer intentionally does **not** serve the YouTube type even though libmpv could — YouTube is routed only to the browser engines.
-- "Interactive" reflects which engines forward input: WebView, CefSharp, and Aurora reference `RawInput.Sharp`; MpvPlayer, Nebula, Vexana, and Xavier are non-interactive renderers.
+- "Interactive" reflects which engines forward input: WebView, CefSharp, and Aurora reference `RawInput.Sharp`; MpvPlayer, VlcPlayer, Nebula, Vexana, and Xavier are non-interactive renderers.

 ## Runtime requirement matrix

 | Engine | Extra runtime requirement | Auto-download offered? | Min OS / version |
 |---|---|---|---|
 | **MpvPlayer** | Ships its own `libmpv-{x86,x64,ARM64}.dll` (no external install) | n/a (bundled) | Windows 10 1607 (Redstone 1) via `IsRedstone1` check |
+| **VlcPlayer** | Ships its own bundled libVLC (`VideoLAN.LibVLC.Windows`, one arch per build); no external install | n/a (bundled) | — |
 | **WebView** | Edge **WebView2 runtime ≥ 131.0.2903.70** | Yes (Continue / Download / Remember / Close) | — |
 | **CefSharp** | **VC++ Redistributable ≥ 14.40.33816.0**; CEF native binaries shipped with engine | Yes (Continue / Download / Remember / Close) | — |
 | **Nebula** | OS media codecs (Media Foundation / DirectShow) | n/a | — |
@@ -116,6 +120,7 @@
 | Engine | HardwareAcceleration ON | HardwareAcceleration OFF |
 |---|---|---|
 | MpvPlayer | `hwdec=auto-safe` | `hwdec=no` |
+| VlcPlayer | `EnableHardwareDecoding=true` (color filters active) | `EnableHardwareDecoding=false` (color filters skipped) |
 | WebView | `--enable-gpu` + `--enable-gpu-vsync` | `--disable-gpu` + `--disable-gpu-vsync` |
 | CefSharp | `enable-gpu=1` + `enable-gpu-vsync=1` | `disable-gpu=1` + `disable-gpu-vsync=1` (skipped on Germanium) |
 | Nebula / Vexana / Xavier / Aurora | n/a (WPF/native handles it) | n/a |
@@ -125,7 +130,7 @@
 ## Interactivity and data-API support


 - **Interactive engines:** WebView, CefSharp, Aurora (reference `RawInput.Sharp`; forward mouse/keyboard).
-- **Non-interactive renderers:** MpvPlayer, Nebula, Vexana, Xavier.
+- **Non-interactive renderers:** MpvPlayer, VlcPlayer, Nebula, Vexana, Xavier.
 - **Audio-reactive + system-status JS APIs:** Only the **Web** type on **WebView** or **CefSharp**. The engine flips `Backgroundog`'s `AudioRequired = true`, opens a communication channel (`CommunicationType`: Pipe / Signal / Transmission), receives data from `Backgroundog`, and calls `ExecuteScriptAsync` with the theme's JS callbacks. Video/Gif/Application engines inject no system data (Aurora apps get volume only). See [Create-Web-Architecture](Create-Web-Architecture) and [IPC](IPC).

 ## Choosing an engine
@@ -133,6 +138,7 @@
 | If you want… | Use |
 |---|---|
 | The most format-robust video/GIF playback | [MpvPlayer](Engine-MpvPlayer) (default for Gif & Video) |
+| A self-contained video/GIF player as a libVLC-based alternative to libmpv | [VlcPlayer](Engine-VlcPlayer) |
 | Audio-reactive / system-data web wallpapers | [CefSharp](Engine-CefSharp) (default for Web) or [WebView](Engine-WebView) |
 | The most versatile browser engine across all browser types | [WebView](Engine-WebView) |
 | A lightweight video player without libmpv | [Nebula](Engine-Nebula) (relies on OS codecs) |

Engine Comparison modified by Bayram Emekli

Bayram Emekli — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 04:15:43 -0000

--- v1
+++ v2
@@ -28,7 +28,17 @@
 | [Xavier](Engine-Xavier) | `Sucrose.Live.Xavier.exe` | **`Sucrose.XamlAnimatedGif`** (XAML attached behavior) | Gif |
 | [Aurora](Engine-Aurora) | `Sucrose.Live.Aurora.exe` | **External process embedding** (per monitor) | Application |

-> 🖼️ **Diagram needed:** A matrix/grid graphic mapping the six wallpaper types (rows) to the seven engines (columns), with cells marked "default" or "available".

+    :::mermaid
+    flowchart LR
+        Mpv["MpvPlayer"] --> Gif & Video
+        WV["WebView"] --> Gif & Url & Web & Video & YouTube
+        Cef["CefSharp"] --> Gif & Url & Web & Video & YouTube
+        Neb["Nebula"] --> Video
+        Vex["Vexana"] --> Gif
+        Xav["Xavier"] --> Gif
+        Aur["Aurora"] --> Application
+
+> Engine → types it can render. For a default/available cell grid see the [Full capability matrix](#full-capability-matrix) below.

 ## Engine enum order

Engine Comparison modified by Bayram Emekli

Bayram Emekli — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 04:15:26 -0000

Engine Comparison

This page is a side-by-side matrix of Sucrose's seven render engines — their underlying technology, the wallpaper types each can render, runtime requirements, interactivity, and support for the audio-reactive / system-status JavaScript APIs. Use it to decide which engine to assign per type on the Settings → Wallpaper page. Each wallpaper has a type (Gif, Url, Web, Video, YouTube, Application), and Sucrose maps that type to a configurable engine, launching the chosen .exe as a child process behind the desktop icons.

Audience: users and developers. For the conceptual overview and launch mechanics, see Engines-Overview.

The seven engines
Engine enum order
Type → allowed engines
Full capability matrix
Runtime requirement matrix
Hardware acceleration behavior
Interactivity and data-API support
Choosing an engine
See also

The seven engines

Engine	Assembly	Underlying tech	Renders
MpvPlayer	`Sucrose.Live.MpvPlayer.exe`	libmpv (native, via `Sucrose.Mpv.NET`)	Gif, Video
WebView	`Sucrose.Live.WebView.exe`	Microsoft Edge WebView2 (Chromium)	Gif, Url, Web, Video, YouTube
CefSharp	`Sucrose.Live.CefSharp.exe`	CEF / CefSharp (Chromium Embedded, offscreen)	Gif, Url, Web, Video, YouTube
Nebula	`Sucrose.Live.Nebula.exe`	WPF `MediaElement` (Windows Media / DirectShow)	Video
Vexana	`Sucrose.Live.Vexana.exe`	WPF image + in-house frame-by-frame GIF decode	Gif
Xavier	`Sucrose.Live.Xavier.exe`	`Sucrose.XamlAnimatedGif` (XAML attached behavior)	Gif
Aurora	`Sucrose.Live.Aurora.exe`	External process embedding (per monitor)	Application

🖼️ Diagram needed: A matrix/grid graphic mapping the six wallpaper types (rows) to the seven engines (columns), with cells marked "default" or "available".

Engine enum order

The internal EngineType enum (src/Shared/Sucrose.Shared.Dependency/Enum/EngineType.cs) defines the canonical engine order, which is used as integer indices:

internal enum EngineType { AuroraLive, NebulaLive, VexanaLive, XavierLive, WebViewLive, CefSharpLive, MpvPlayerLive }

The six wallpaper types are defined in WallpaperType.cs:

internal enum WallpaperType { Gif, Url, Web, Video, YouTube, Application }

Type → allowed engines

Per-type allowed engines are sub-enums whose values alias back to EngineType. The default for each type comes from src/Shared/Sucrose.Shared.Space/Manage/Internal.cs:

Type	Allowed engines	Default
Gif (`GifEngineType`)	Vexana, Xavier, WebView, CefSharp, MpvPlayer	MpvPlayer
Url (`UrlEngineType`)	WebView, CefSharp	CefSharp
Web (`WebEngineType`)	WebView, CefSharp	CefSharp
Video (`VideoEngineType`)	Nebula, WebView, CefSharp, MpvPlayer	MpvPlayer
YouTube (`YouTubeEngineType`)	WebView, CefSharp	CefSharp
Application (`ApplicationEngineType`)	Aurora (only)	Aurora

The defaults in source:

public static SSDEUET UrlEngine = SSDEUET.CefSharp;
public static SSDEWET WebEngine = SSDEWET.CefSharp;
public static SSDEGET GifEngine = SSDEGET.MpvPlayer;
public static SSDEVET VideoEngine = SSDEVET.MpvPlayer;
public static SSDEAET ApplicationEngine = SSDEAET.Aurora;
public static SSDEYTET YouTubeEngine = SSDEYTET.CefSharp;

You change these in Portal → Settings → Wallpaper (see Choosing-Engines and Settings-Wallpaper). The combo boxes are GifPlayer and VideoPlayer in the Extensions area, and UrlPlayer, WebPlayer, YouTubePlayer, ApplicationPlayer in the Engines area; each writes the engine setting key (Gif, Url, Web, Video, YouTube, Application).

Full capability matrix

Engine	Tech	Gif	Url	Web	Video	YouTube	Application	Interactive	Audio/System data
MpvPlayer	libmpv	✔ (default)	–	–	✔ (default)	–	–	No	No
WebView	Edge WebView2	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	–	Yes	Yes (Web only)
CefSharp	CEF / CefSharp	✔	✔ (default)	✔ (default)	✔	✔ (default)	–	Yes	Yes (Web only)
Nebula	WPF MediaElement	–	–	–	✔	–	–	No	No
Vexana	In-house GIF parser	✔	–	–	–	–	–	No	No
Xavier	XamlAnimatedGif	✔	–	–	–	–	–	No	No
Aurora	Process embedding	–	–	–	–	–	✔ (default)	Input forwarded	Volume only

Notes:

"Audio/System data" means the JavaScript audio-reactive and system-status APIs (SucroseAudioData, SucroseProcessorData, etc.). These are delivered only for the Web type on WebView or CefSharp. See Create-Audio-API and Create-System-API.
MpvPlayer intentionally does not serve the YouTube type even though libmpv could — YouTube is routed only to the browser engines.
"Interactive" reflects which engines forward input: WebView, CefSharp, and Aurora reference RawInput.Sharp; MpvPlayer, Nebula, Vexana, and Xavier are non-interactive renderers.

Runtime requirement matrix

Engine	Extra runtime requirement	Auto-download offered?	Min OS / version
MpvPlayer	Ships its own `libmpv-{x86,x64,ARM64}.dll` (no external install)	n/a (bundled)	Windows 10 1607 (Redstone 1) via `IsRedstone1` check
WebView	Edge WebView2 runtime ≥ 131.0.2903.70	Yes (Continue / Download / Remember / Close)	—
CefSharp	VC++ Redistributable ≥ 14.40.33816.0; CEF native binaries shipped with engine	Yes (Continue / Download / Remember / Close)	—
Nebula	OS media codecs (Media Foundation / DirectShow)	n/a	—
Vexana	None (pure managed WPF)	n/a	—
Xavier	None (pure managed WPF)	n/a	—
Aurora	None beyond .NET + Skylark; the embedded app supplies its own	n/a	—

All engines target .NET 10.0-windows and ship for x86, x64, and ARM64. The .NET 10 runtime is bundled privately as Sucrose.Runtime — no system .NET install is required. See System-Requirements and Runtime-Dependencies.

Hardware acceleration behavior

The HardwareAcceleration toggle (Settings → Wallpaper) maps to engine-specific flags:

Engine	HardwareAcceleration ON	HardwareAcceleration OFF
MpvPlayer	`hwdec=auto-safe`	`hwdec=no`
WebView	`--enable-gpu` + `--enable-gpu-vsync`	`--disable-gpu` + `--disable-gpu-vsync`
CefSharp	`enable-gpu=1` + `enable-gpu-vsync=1`	`disable-gpu=1` + `disable-gpu-vsync=1` (skipped on Germanium)
Nebula / Vexana / Xavier / Aurora	n/a (WPF/native handles it)	n/a

Stay Awake applies across all engines via a 30-second SetThreadExecutionState loop (ON → ES_CONTINUOUS | ES_SYSTEM_REQUIRED | ES_DISPLAY_REQUIRED; OFF → ES_CONTINUOUS); MpvPlayer additionally rewrites its stop-screensaver config. See Performance-Rules and Choosing-Engines.

Interactivity and data-API support

Interactive engines: WebView, CefSharp, Aurora (reference RawInput.Sharp; forward mouse/keyboard).
Non-interactive renderers: MpvPlayer, Nebula, Vexana, Xavier.
Audio-reactive + system-status JS APIs: Only the Web type on WebView or CefSharp. The engine flips Backgroundog's AudioRequired = true, opens a communication channel (CommunicationType: Pipe / Signal / Transmission), receives data from Backgroundog, and calls ExecuteScriptAsync with the theme's JS callbacks. Video/Gif/Application engines inject no system data (Aurora apps get volume only). See Create-Web-Architecture and IPC.

Choosing an engine

If you want…	Use
The most format-robust video/GIF playback	MpvPlayer (default for Gif & Video)
Audio-reactive / system-data web wallpapers	CefSharp (default for Web) or WebView
The most versatile browser engine across all browser types	WebView
A lightweight video player without libmpv	Nebula (relies on OS codecs)
A lightweight local-GIF player, no native runtime	Vexana
A GIF streamed from a remote URL, no native runtime	Xavier
To run an app/game as the wallpaper	Aurora (Application only)

If a type is manually assigned to an engine that cannot render it, the engine's Configure() switch hits default → Close() and nothing shows — but the Portal only offers compatible engines per type, so this is a safeguard.