Video Upscaling questions?

[yyy02]

Hi GIMPers,

So, some video upscaling questions.
I just started investigating upscaling videos using some of the latest software, and would like the knowledgeable among you to clue me in.

My goals are to get some of the old 240/360/480p videos like Dan Hawke, maybe some of the Blakemore Violence stuff into the 720p realm. Not even looking at getting close to 4K, just a small update to the ancient stuff.

I'm thinking it would require the latest in computer hardware, correct? To even get started? Would a gaming computer, with its advanced graphics capability be of use?

Any information you guys/gals could provide would be helpful. And I mean any information, as I'm currently on an old Windows7 computer. I have a Windows 10 machine, but don't use it that often?

Do you think I would run into any licensing issues, or intellectual property issues, seeing as how its basically pornography?

An image example of the kind of video I'd hope to upscale: Cybill Young "on the stick". Very sexy.

[wulf]

I can't help technically, but I do wish luck & success.

[bakerboy]

I would also like to know. I have heard that there are now AI up rez software?

[BobDarkroom]

Hi GIMPers,

So, some video upscaling questions.
I just started investigating upscaling videos using some of the latest software, and would like the knowledgeable among you to clue me in.

My goals are to get some of the old 240/360/480p videos like Dan Hawke, maybe some of the Blakemore Violence stuff into the 720p realm. Not even looking at getting close to 4K, just a small update to the ancient stuff.

I'm thinking it would require the latest in computer hardware, correct? To even get started? Would a gaming computer, with its advanced graphics capability be of use?

Any information you guys/gals could provide would be helpful. And I mean any information, as I'm currently on an old Windows7 computer. I have a Windows 10 machine, but don't use it that often?

Do you think I would run into any licensing issues, or intellectual property issues, seeing as how its basically pornography?

CybillYoung_DHCY80_pole_comp1.png

An image example of the kind of video I'd hope to upscale: Cybill Young "on the stick". Very sexy.

Video processing software will use the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) on your video card rather than the Central Processing Unit (CPU) on your main board. Therefore, the required processing time will greatly depend on the capabilities of your GPU.
So, yes a high end gaming video card will definitely be much faster than the average video card but they come at a considerable price (from several hundreds to well over a thousand dollars).

Now a bit more about the required time:
Let's assume that the original video has 25 frames per second.
A 10 minutes video will have: 10 minutes x 60 seconds/minute x 25 frames/second = 15.000 frames
The software needs to enhance and upscale each of these 15.000 frames one by one using the GPU and the time it takes will depend on the processing power of the graphics card in the computer.

With an old Windows 7 PC that probably has a low end video card, it will take a very long time, even for short video's.
If your Windows 10 PC also has a standard, low cost, video card it won't be much faster.
In summary, yes you need the latest in gaming hardware to do video enhancing and upscaling in an efficient way but it will still be a time consuming process depending on the duration of the video.
And... don't forget you need video enhancing AI software and as far as I know that's not available for free.
Topaz Labs Video Enhancer AI is one I tried a few years ago but I didn't buy it (current cost is around US$300,-)

Regarding possible licensing issues, I guess there would be a real risk of copyright violations if you intend to sell the upscaled videos online.

[SilentHunter]

I agree with BobDarkRoom. You need a good graphics card. Attention: some software only works with Nvidia Cards to reduce the processing time. I have Topaz Video Enhancer AI. The result from old videos up to FHD or 4K is amazing. But that needs long time. Even with a good GPU.

[yyy02]

I can't help technically, but I do wish luck & success.

Thanks wulf! Thanks to all that replied, especially Bob Darkroom and Silent Hunter, for the detail. BTW, Topaz w/AI is the software I'm also looking at, but I wouldn't be shooting for 4K results.
Please keep the replies coming especially if you have anything technical to add.

Any videos upscaled would be made available free to GIMPers via the system that Lionrobe uses. This is more a "labor of love", so to speak, not a for-profit venture.

Another example of the type of videos that I would hope to upscale. This one is Liz Tyler (?) suffering electro on Dan Hawke's rack, in it's native 240p resolution.

LizTyler_q_DH31_03.18.png (52.23 KiB) Viewed 10434 times

LizTyler_q_DH31_04.18.png (59.98 KiB) Viewed 10434 times

[wulf]

I can't help technically, but I do wish luck & success.

Thanks wulf! Thanks to all that replied, especially Bob Darkroom and Silent Hunter, for the detail. BTW, Topaz w/AI is the software I'm also looking at, but I wouldn't be shooting for 4K results.
Please keep the replies coming especially if you have anything technical to add.

Any videos upscaled would be made available free to GIMPers via the system that Lionrobe uses. This is more a "labor of love", so to speak, not a for-profit venture.

Another example of the type of videos that I would hope to upscale. This one is Liz Tyler (?) suffering electro on Dan Hawke's rack, in it's native 240p resolution.

LizTyler_q_DH31_03.18.pngLizTyler_q_DH31_04.18.png

Would this do anything for the old (read VHS) videos from Hiddenpleasures? Even a little improvement with those would be welcome.

[yyy02]

I would also like to know. I have heard that there are now AI up rez software?

As I understand, AI is making (or has been making) inroads into video upscaling software as well. The Topaz software I'm looking at is for-purchase (not free), and is fairly complex, with AI. But maybe workable (for me)?

As a matter of fact, I think the whole AI thing started with Hollywood (the film industry) resurrecting the faces of dead (or sometimes younger versions of) of actors for films? Since they needed moving pictures, however crude, instead of static images...

Anyway, in the planning stages at the moment. I got out of the industry some years ago, and took a hard left turn in my "career". I shudder to think of how far it has progressed since then.

...Would this do anything for the old (read VHS) videos from Hiddenpleasures? Even a little improvement with those would be welcome.

Probably, though I don't personally have any old HiddenPleasures vids. Though I think from what I've seen, their "stretched/spread/whipped" ethos would be very attractive, that is if I could make out the lo res video with these old eyes.

[wulf]

I would also like to know. I have heard that there are now AI up rez software?

As I understand, AI is making (or has been making) inroads into video upscaling software as well. The Topaz software I'm looking at is for-purchase (not free), and is fairly complex, with AI. But maybe workable (for me)?

As a matter of fact, I think the whole AI thing started with Hollywood (the film industry) resurrecting the faces of dead (or sometimes younger versions of) of actors for films? Since they needed moving pictures, however crude, instead of static images...

Anyway, in the planning stages at the moment. I got out of the industry some years ago, and took a hard left turn in my "career". I shudder to think of how far it has progressed since then.

...Would this do anything for the old (read VHS) videos from Hiddenpleasures? Even a little improvement with those would be welcome.

Probably, though I don't personally have any old HiddenPleasures vids. Though I think from what I've seen, their "stretched/spread/whipped" ethos would be very attractive, that is if I could make out the lo res video with these old eyes.

No problem, I have at least 27 hiddenpleasures videos on the hd ranging from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. I'll send them along when the time comes.

[SilentHunter]

Topaz: get on their mailing list. They have often special offers about 25% or more off.

To get best results: you need some time to test what are the best filters and what is the best resolution for your material. Sometimes it is bette and faster to work in several steps. As example upscale a 320 x 240 movie to FHD will be faster and better quality when you upscale from 320 x 240 to 640 x 480 and then to FH then from 320 x 240 to FHD direct.

NS: you can test all Topaz Software before you buy them.