How to Upscale Video in 2023 [Higher Resolution & Quality]

While upgrading your computer monitor or home entertainment system can be a great way to optimize your viewing experience, it can be incredibly frustrating when low-resolution content plays on these otherwise high-tech devices!

This is why video upscaling is such a lifesaver. With it, you can transform any video file from low res to high res without compromising quality.

This article will explain what video upscaling entails, its importance, and the steps you can take to upscale video resolution.

This is especially important if you are a filmmaker or video content creator of any kind – your viewers will thank you for the high-quality viewing experience that you provide!

What is Video Upscaling?

Video upscaling involves improving a video quality from low resolution to high one. Having high-resolution videos is especially important when playing old videos on newer devices.

For instance, if you recently purchased a new computer screen or home entertainment system, you should upscale videos to a high resolution.

Why Do You Need to Know How to Upscale Video?

Here are some reasons why you need to know how to upscale videos:

• You can change low-resolution videos to high-resolution without tampering with the quality.
• It helps to make old videos look better on bigger display screens.
• You can use it to sharpen any blurry video.
• With it, you can correct videos that were affected by poor lighting, incorrect resolution, video compression, etc.

Overview of the Video Upscaling Process

A lot goes into video upscaling, but the process begins with pre-production considerations. These include defining why you want to upscale a particular video. For instance, would you like to sharpen a blurry video or make a low-res video better suited for high-tech devices?

Once you’ve answered this question, you can obtain the initial footage, which would be the low-res video you want to upscale. Once you have the video, you can import it to the software you’ll use and choose the right format to start upscaling.

Upscaling Video in Post-Production

There are a few things to consider when upscaling video in post-production. Some of them are described below.

Selecting the Right Software

If you want to get the best upscaled video, you need to choose the right software. Here are some options you can consider:

Topaz Video Enhance AI

Although Topaz Video Enhance AI is what I consider to be the best overall AI video upscaling software, it’s also ideal for deinterlacing, denoising, and restoration.

This software is easy to use and can upscale many videos simultaneously. Plus, it’s a great tool for frame rate conversion. It achieves all of these results using machine learning to preserve details and enhance resolution.

Topaz is a one-time purchase, which is a feature that many people love, especially if they have lots of videos to upscale. It does, however, use a lot of computing power.

Topaz is well known for producing natural results because it was trained with actual video clips.

You can check out my full review of Topaz Video Enhance AI in this article: Topaz Video Enhance AI Review for AI Upscaling

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Pixop

Pixop is a cloud-based app that helps with video scaling and enhancement. It’s another top AI video upscaling software for denoising, restoration, super-resolution, and overall enhancement of video.

I think it’s the best for upscaling social media videos due to its ease of use, the ability to pay for upscaling as you go (rather than a monthly fee), and the ability to trim your videos as well as upscale them. I also like that it’s an online upscaler, so it doesn’t need much computing power from your device.

The app is as easy as they come, so even individual users can enjoy its benefits without special training. Also, since it boasts the latest machine learning tech, it’s one of the most efficient video upscaling software you can find.

You can check out my full review of Pixop in this article: Pixop Review for Online AI Upscaling Software

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AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI

As a video enhancement software, AVClabs Video Enhancer AI helps to improve video quality, scaling it from 480p to 1080p, 1080p to 4k, etc. All videos that pass through this AI tool look more aesthetically pleasing.

Plus, it can retouch faces in any video footage, as well as deinterlace and denoise, to improve quality.

AVCLabs is also a web-based upscaler, so it doesn’t require a lot of computer or memory space. It’s particularly good for old family videos that you’d like to restore!

You can check out my full review of AVCLabs in this article: AVCLabs Review for AI Online Video Upscaling

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Steps to Upscale Video

Several steps are involved in upscaling videos, depending on the software you’re using. However, most software will use the following general steps:

• Download and launch video upscaling software (some programs use more computer power and memory than others).
• Import or drag the video file.
• Select the preferred AI model in the Settings section. You can also use the software’s default model.
• View the result using the Preview button.
• Select Start after making all necessary adjustments, and you’re satisfied with the result.
• Save or export the video after upscaling.

Tips & Tricks for Increasing Video Resolution

While trying to increase video resolution and make it look better, here are some tips you should remember.

Understand the Resolution and Aspect Ratio of the Original Footage

People tend to mix things up when defining the resolution and aspect ratio. The resolution is the number of pixels on a TV or computer screen.

On the other hand, the aspect ratio is a video’s orientation based on the width-to-height ratio. It goes hand-in-hand with the resolution, and both help to determine the quality of a video or image.

Knowing the resolution and aspect ratio of the low-res video will let you know how to upscale videos.

Choose an Upscale Algorithm Based on the Type of Video Content

An algorithm is a set of rules that a computer must adhere to while executing a particular task. And in terms of video upscaling, you have to pay attention to the algorithm you’ll use to increase resolution.

Most AI video upscaling software has been designed with different algorithms (models) to upscale your videos based on the video content you’re working on.

Choosing a suitable model will ensure that you get the best result.

Processes Available for Upscaling, Such as Interpolation and Image Resizing

A general upscaling process goes like this:

There’s a signal analysis to recognize the resolution of the source video. Then, there’s noise reduction, image sharpening and resizing, and analysis of textures and edges. The last step is the final conversion to whatever video resolution you aim for, e.g., 4K or 8K.

For TV screens, through interpolation algorithms, the TV fills blank pixels with information according to the composition of pixels around them. Consequently, the video will be stretched across the screen.

Can I Combine Upscaling With Other Processes?

Upscaling isn’t a standalone process; it’s a combination of different steps and processes. Some include reduction of video blur, noise reduction, video editing, and image resizing.

Common Questions About Video Upscaling

How Do I Upscale a Video for Free?

There are several video upscaling software through which you can upscale videos for free.

Can You Upscale 480p to 1080p?

Yes, you can upscale 480p to 1080p, as long as you have video upscaling software.

Conclusion: How to Upscale Video

Once you get the hang of video upscaling, you no longer have to worry about low-resolution videos. Even better, there are different AI video upscaling software to simplify things for you (you can even upscale any stock video footage that you have bought!).

Now, you can enjoy high-resolution videos all year long!

Looking to create great videos? Check out these other articles:

The 7+ Best AI Video Generators [Text to Video]

9+ Best AI Video Editor Software Tools [Reviewed]

The Best Tablet for Video Editing: 5+ Options Reviewed