Old phone footage, a clip that was compressed twice on its way to you, an AI generation that came out at 720p when the edit is 4K: all of them look fine on a phone and fall apart on a big screen. Scaling them up in an editor only makes the softness larger. To upscale a video to 4K properly, you need a model that rebuilds detail frame by frame and keeps it stable as things move.
This article shows how to do that with Kinoseed's Video Upscale, which runs Topaz video models, and how to choose the settings that suit your footage.
What you need
- The clip you want to enlarge (MP4, WebM or MOV, up to about 200 MB).
- A Kinoseed account to run it. New accounts start with 50 free credits.
Step by step
- 1
Upload the Source video
Open Video Upscale and drop your clip into the Source video slot. Nothing about the content changes: no re-render, no new motion, only resolution.
- 2
Choose the Model
There are three Topaz models in the Model list. Proteus is the balanced, general-purpose choice and is selected for you. Artemis HQ is for clean, natural footage. Gaia HQ is for heavy compression and older footage, where blocking and noise are the main problem.
- 3
Set the Scale
Scale is 2× or 4×. 2× is the safe default and takes a 1080p clip to 4K. Keep 4× for genuinely small sources, such as 480p or 540p, where there is real headroom to fill.
- 4
Press Upscale Video
Upscaling takes a while: expect several minutes for a clip, longer for long ones. The result plays in the feed on the right, where you can expand it, download it as an MP4 or run it again.
Which factor gets you to 4K?
4K UHD is 3840 pixels wide. A 1080p clip (1920 wide) reaches it with 2×. A 720p clip (1280 wide) at 2× lands at 2560, so it needs 4× to clear 4K, which takes it to 5120. A 480p clip at 4× comes back at roughly 1080p to 1440p, depending on its width. If the source is that small, the result will be much cleaner, but it is still being rebuilt from very little.
What it costs
The run is billed on the length of the source clip, because the models process every frame. A short clip is a fraction of the price of a long one, so trim to the part you actually need before uploading. If a run fails, its credits are refunded automatically.
More examples
Tips for better results
- Match the model to the damage, not the subject. A beautiful scene that was compressed into blocks still wants Gaia HQ.
- Trim first. You pay for every second you upload, including the ones you will cut in the edit.
- Upscale before you grade. A grade on a soft clip bakes in the softness; a grade on a clean one has more detail to work with.
- For a single frame or a thumbnail, use the image upscaler instead. It is faster and far cheaper than running a clip.
Frequently asked questions
Does upscaling change what happens in the video?
No. Framing, motion, timing and colour stay the same. Only the resolution and the fine detail change.
Is 4× always better than 2×?
No. On a clip that is already 1080p, 2× reaches 4K and 4× only adds pixels nobody will see. 4× earns its place on small sources, where 2× would still leave you short of the size you need.
Which video formats can I upload?
MP4, WebM and MOV, up to about 200 MB. The result comes back as an MP4.
Can I upscale AI-generated video?
Yes. Clips generated at 720p in the video studio are a common source. 2× takes them to 1440p and 4× takes them past 4K.
Try it on your own shot.
Video Upscale is open to explore. The price of a run is on the button before you spend anything.
