The Best AI Tools to Upscale Video Quality | AI Filmmaking Tutorial
In this article and video tutorial, I'll compare four different AI tools for upscaling video quality.
Having high-resolution footage is important for any AI filmmaker. Working with AI generated clips can be tricky, because you want to avoid that “smoothed over” look.
So how can you transform your videos and get higher fidelity, resolution, and sharper details?
There are several great tools out there to upscale your footage, and we’re going to compare several of them for you.
But which one is the best for video content creation?
Let's find out.
The Best AI Tools for Uscaling Videos | Video Tutorial
Below is a video where I analyze the best AI tools for upre
The Best Tools to Upscale Videos | An In-Depth Analysis
Most AI generated videos can be downloaded at 720P, but for the best filmmaking results we definitely want to upscale to 4K.
Below is the sample clip we’ll use to test out all the tools. This is an image-to-video generated clip created in Runway, downloaded at 720P.
You can see how the lines of the buildings and windows could definitely be improved.
1. CapCut
The first option we’ll explore is CapCut, a free editing program you can download or use online. All you have to do is head over to CapCut.com.
You can upload or drop your footage into the timeline and whenever you’re ready to upscale it, just hit “Export” in the top right hand corner.
A box of selections will pop up, and you’ll want to choose 4K, change from “recommended quality” to “high quality”, and select .mov (this file type is less compressed, for maximum resolution).
Check out the zoomed-in results below.
We’re not too impressed with how this looks! We think another upscaling tool could do better, so CapCut wouldn’t be our top recommendation.
2. Krea
Krea is an online platform with lots of helpful AI tools, including the ability to upscale your footage.
To use Krea, just go to their website and click on “Enhance” up top.
Then you can upload your video clip (but Krea has a limit of 5 seconds).
On the right you can toggle your upscaling details. 1.5 is their highest upscaling factor, and for frame rate the only options are 30, 60 or 120 fps.
We can select 30 fps for this test, but since our original footage is in 24 fps (and most video generations are) this means Krea is probably not the best option for AI filmmaking.
Check it out below. We actually think the results look worse than the original 720P video. Yikes!
Luckily the next option is much better.
3. Runway
Runway just released a new feature allowing you to download generations at 4K directly inside the platform. Pretty convenient!
To use it, all you have to do is click “Actions” in the bottom left hand side of the video and choose upscale to 4K.
Then you can download the clip directly to your computer.
Look at the final result below. The quality is definitely higher than CapCut or Krea. We are impressed!
But there’s a catch… You can only use this feature for clips you generate inside Runway.
4. Topaz Video
Topaz Video is a bit more expensive, but definitely worth it if you’re looking for the best possible upscaler on the market.
The Proteus model (default) is great for AI filmmaking.
With Topaz, you can change the frame rate, interpolation, and more. Overall, it’s a very professional tool we totally recommend.
You can see it in the results below. Topaz is by far the best in terms of resolution, and it doesn’t over-sharpen the footage.
Keep in mind Topaz works well with any type of video clip: real footage, old film or AI generated clips.
Conclusion: Which One is the Best?
You can see all of the results below, side by side.
We think there’s a very clear “best” upscaler. (Great job, Topaz!)
Learn the Best AI Filmmaking Techniques for Filmmakers
We hope you enjoyed checking out these different video upscaling tools. If you want to learn more about how to create stunning AI videos using tools like these but don’t know where to start, I would love for you to join us in our next session AI Filmmaking session. We always have a blast and would love for you to be a part.
We update the content every single week based on the latest tools. We even had SORA training just one week after it launched. It is a wonderful way to enhance your AI skills, but no pressure!
We encourage you to test them all out for yourself. Tag us and let us know what you create :)
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