When it comes to making video content, the need for higher resolutions (and enhanced visual fidelity) has almost become a trend.
The thing is – Not every video, nevertheless, is captured in ultra-high definition from the start – this is where the marvels of Artificial Intelligence (AI) step in, offering a solution to upscale videos to 4K resolution and beyond.
I personally used Winxvideo AI and I liked it a lot. Especially compared to Topaz AI – I’ll go over these, but the newer AI solutions are far superior to the older methods.
Also I personally think the more sleek/easier user interface designs on newer apps (like Winxvideo) are improving to a level older apps can’t keep up.
I’ll explore different AI tools to upscale videos to 4K, how to use them to get the best results, the pros and cons of each method, and help you choose the best AI 4K video upscaler.
The quickest 4K AI Video Upscaler?
I personally used Winxvideo AI because it has a one click AI “Super Resolution” feature to upscale videos by up to 400%.
Other quick solutions could be Topaz or even VLC media player, but they objective take more clicks to get to the final upscale result.
My decision was using Winxvideo AI, which let me to upscale SD video to HD, and 720P/1080P videos to 4K.
In the process of 4K video upscaling, it removes all noise, grain, blur, and other artifacts and offered the most important details as far as clarity goes of the original footage I had (which was content I made about VLC being used on Roku)
Related: How to Cast Videos from VLC to ANY Smart TV
It uses a variety of techniques to enhance videos, including motion compensation, frame interpolation, noise reduction, and color correction. These techniques work together to create a sharper, clearer, and more vibrant video with a higher resolution.
How to upscale videos to 4K with Winxvideo AI
You can Download Winxvideo AI on your computer. Currently, its AI tools are only available for Windows systems only.
Big plus: To run this AI video upscaler, you don’t need to have a very high-end computer for a smooth experience. It works properly on an average PC.
Once downloaded, install it as per the prompts, and then open it.
Related: 10 Best Video Players for iPhone (Free & Paid)
Next, click Video AI from the main interface and enter the AI video upscaler. Click the big arrow button or Add Video to import the videos that you want to upscale.
You can also drag and drop them into the upscaler. It supports MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, MTS, AVCHD, Prores, and other videos from your phones, GoPro, drones, and other DSLR cameras or platforms.
Also see: 7 Ways to Instantly Open & Play MKV files on Mac
After the videos are imported, enable the Super Resolution box on the left panel. First, you need to choose the type of source video. Choose Reality unless the source video is an animation, cartoon, or CGI video.
I found the “anime: option to work the best for my videos.
Continue to the Model Settings and select an upscaling scale based on your source video. For example, to upscale a video from 1080P to 4K, choose to upscale your video by 2X. To upscale a 640P video to 4K, you need to choose 4X.
Note: You can choose Enhance Video (1x) to enhance the video quality without increasing the resolution, or, consequently, the file size. Also, if you need to merge videos, you can use VLC to merge or use one of the six other ways I tested for merging.
If you input an old animated video for upscaling, choose Anime under Super Resolution Type. For anime videos, there are 3 denoise modes: Low, Medium, and High. Select a denoise mode based on the original materials. Generally, we choose Low to prevent excessive smoothing.
Next, choose an upscale scale. Though we’re talking about how to upscale videos to 4K, it’s not a good idea to instantly upscale a particularly low-quality video to 4K.
Generally, the higher the multiplier, the higher the clarity but less natural….to get the best results, it is advised to experiment with different parameters and preview.
After the above settings, go to Export Settings, then choose a video codec, audio codec, and quality level if necessary. Or just leave them as the default if you’re not particularly clear. In the Output Folder, choose where you’d like to save the upscaled 4K video. Then click the big blue Run button and wait.
This AI video upscaler runs on Nvidia, Intel, and AMD GPU acceleration. This means it can make the best use of your hardware. That’s why it can deliver a 4K upscaling experience much faster than most other AI processes.
Pros:
- It’s easy to use and doesn’t require a high-end computer.
- It offers other AI tools such as video stabilization, denoise, and frame interpolation.
- It’s in fact an AI video & image enhancer, video converter, downloader, recorder, and editor.
- It runs fast with GPU acceleration support.
Cons:
- It can only upscale videos to 4K resolutions.
- Its AI tools are not available for Mac users.
How to Upscale Videos to 4K with Topaz Video AI
Topaz Video AI is a popular AI video upscaler and enhancer. It’s able to upscale videos to 4K and even 8K. It provides a range of upscaling models to choose from, allowing users to select the most suitable option based on their preferences and requirements.
To upscale videos to 4K with Topaz Video AI, follow these steps:
Download and install the Topaz Video AI software on your computer. Then launch it and import the video you want to upscale into the software. You can typically do this by clicking on Browse to open and navigate to the location of your video file.
Once the video is loaded, navigate to the upscaling settings on the left panel. From the Preset drop-down menu, choose “Upscale to 4K.” The necessary enhancement filters, output resolution, and output format will be automatically triggered when “Upscale to 4K” is selected as the preset.
After that, you may click “Preview” to see the changes between the before and after, or just click “Export” to start the video export procedure.
If you are already familiar with the program and settings, you can manually choose AI filters, AI Models, and tailor the output (resolution, bitrate, quality level, format, and more) to your exact preferences.
To upscale videos to 4K resolution, choose the 4K resolution 3840×2160(4K) from the Output Resolution drop-down list.
Next, in the Enhancement section, you need to choose the Video Type, AI Models and filters. First, decide if the input video is interlaced. There are different AI models, and each is designed for different videos. For example, Iris can help reduce noise and compression artifacts from a low-quality video.
This AI video upscaler offers a range of enhancement options. Take the time to do some experimenting and find the settings that work best for you. After all the settings, click Export and wait.
Pros:
- It’s easy to use.
- It offers different AI filters and models to suit the various needs.
- It’s able to upscale videos to 4K and 8K.
- It contains tools to increase frame rates, stabilize, remove noise, deinterlace, etc.
Cons:
- Upscaling videos to 4K with Topaz Video AI may require significant computational resources, including CPU and GPU power, which could lead to longer processing times on less powerful hardware.
- Mastering all the features and settings of Topaz Video AI may require some time and effort.
- It doesn’t provide other editing features to customize the video.
Also see How to A / B Loop a Video Continuously on VLC Media Player
How to Upscale Videos to 4K Online
In addition to desktop AI video upscaler software, there are also online AI upscalers to choose from. Here we take TensorPix as an example to show you how to upscale videos from low quality to 4K resolution online.
This online AI upscaler provides AI Upscale, Denoise, Color Restore, Motion Smoothing, Slow Motion, and some other tools. You don’t need to install extra software on your computer.
Follow these steps to learn how to upscale videos to 4K online:
Google this online AI video upscaler and open it. Click Try for Free or Get Started. It will ask you to login. You can sign up and login using your Google account or email.
Once entered, click Try now under Video Enhance. You can then import the source video from your local computer, the cloud, or a link. It will take some time to import the video.
Once the video is uploaded, it will display the video information with a list of AI tools below the source file. To upscale a video to 4K, enable the AI Upscale box. Then you can choose to upscale by 200% or 400%. If necessary, you can add 2, 3, 4, or 5 other filters, such as AI Denoise, Color Restore, AI Stabilization, etc., based on your plan.
Then click Enhance, and wait.
Pros:
- It’s easy to use and doesn’t require software installation.
- Online video upscalers typically do not require powerful hardware resources.
- Some online video upscalers offer free or affordable pricing plans, making them a cost-effective solution for users who only need to upscale videos occasionally or for personal use.
Cons:
- Online solutions may offer less control over the upscaling process than desktop applications, with fewer possibilities for adjusting settings and parameters.
- Online programs require a stable internet connection in order to upload and process videos.
Providing videos with upscaling for clarity (and details) is ideal when improving your video content and captivating your audience. But what if your footage isn’t shot in 4K? The Strong user interfaces and powerful AI algorithms of Winxvideo AI and Topaz Video AI can both work for quicker, free-trial solutions.
