Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Decoding How AI-Powered Upscaling on NVIDIA RTX Improves Video Quality

17/07/2024

Editor's note: This post is part of the AI Decoded series, which demystifies AI by making the technology more accessible, and showcases new hardware, software, tools and accelerations for RTX PC and workstation users.

Video is everywhere - nearly 80% of internet bandwidth today is used to stream video from content providers and social networks. While screens have become bigger and support higher resolutions, nearly all video is only 1080p quality or lower.

Upscalers can help sharpen streamed video and, powered by AI on the NVIDIA RTX platform, significantly enhance image quality and detail.

What Is an Upscaler? The larger file size of videos makes it harder to compress and transmit compared to images or text. Platforms like Netflix, Vimeo and YouTube work around this limitation by encoding video - the process of compressing the raw source of a video into a smaller container format.

The encoder first analyzes the video to decide what information it can remove to make it fit a target resolution and frame rate. If the target bitrate is insufficient, the video quality decreases, resulting in a loss of detail and sharpness and the presence of encoding artifacts. The smaller the file, the easier it is to share on the internet - but the worse it looks.

Typically, software on the viewer's device will upscale the video file to fit the display's native resolution. However, these upscalers are fairly simplistic, merely multiplying pixels to meet the desired resolution. They can help sharpen the outlines of objects and scenes, but the final video typically carries encoding artifacts and sometimes looks over-sharpened and unnatural.

AI Know a Better Way The NVIDIA RTX platform uses AI to easily de-artifact and upscale videos.

Easily de-artifact and upscale videos with RTX. The process of AI upscaling involves analyzing images and motion vectors to generate new details not present in the original video. Instead of merely multiplying pixels, it recognizes the patterns of the image and enhances them to provide greater detail and video quality.

Images must be first de-artifacted before any processing begins. Artifacts - or unwanted distortions and anomalies that appear in video and image files - occur due to overcompression or data loss during transmission and storage.

NVIDIA AI networks can de-artifact images, helping remove blocky areas sometimes seen in streamed video. Without this first step, AI upscalers might end up enhancing the artifacted image itself instead of the desired content.

Super-Sized Video Just like putting on a pair of prescription glasses can instantly snap the world into focus, RTX Video Super Resolution, one of NVIDIA's latest innovations in AI-enhanced video technology, gives users a clearer picture into the world of streamed video.

Click the image to see the differences between bicubic upscaling (left) and RTX Video Super Resolution (right). Available on GeForce RTX 40 and 30 Series GPUs and RTX professional GPUs, it uses AI running on dedicated Tensor Cores to remove block compression artifacts and upscale lower-resolution content up to 4K, matching the user's native display resolution.

RTX Video Super Resolution can be used to enhance all video watched on browsers. By combining de-artifacting with AI upscaling techniques, it can make even low-bitrate Twitch streams look stunningly clear. RTX Video Super Resolution is also supported in popular video apps like VLC so users can apply the same upscaling process to their offline videos.

Creators can soon use RTX Video Super Resolution in editing apps like Black Magic's Davinci Resolve, making it easier than ever to upscale lower-quality video files to 4K resolution, as well as convert standard-dynamic range source files into high-dynamic range (HDR).

Say Hi to High-Dynamic Range RTX Video now also supports AI HDR. HDR video supports a wider range of colors, lending greater detail especially to the darker and lighter areas of images. The problem is that there isn't that much HDR content online yet.

Enter RTX Video HDR - by simply turning on the feature, the AI network will turn any standard or low-dynamic-range content into HDR, performing the correct tone mapping so the image still looks natural and retains its original colors.

AI Across the Board RTX Video is just the latest implementation of AI upscaling powered by NVIDIA RTX.

Members of the GeForce NOW cloud streaming service can play their favorite PC games on nearly any device. GeForce RTX servers located all over the world first render the game video content, encode it and then stream it to the player's local device - just like streaming video from other content providers.

Members on older NVIDIA GPU-powered devices can still use AI-enhanced upscaling to improve gameplay quality. This means they can enjoy the best of both worlds - gameplay rendered on servers powered by RTX 4080-class GPUs in the cloud and AI-enhanced streaming quality. Get more information on enabling AI-enhanced upscaling on GeForce NOW.

The NVIDIA SHIELD TV takes this one step further, processing AI neural networks directly on its NVIDIA Tegra system-on-a-chip to upscale 1080p-quality or lower content from nearly any streaming platform to a display's native resolution. That means users can improve the video quality of content streamed from Netflix, Prime Video, Max, Disney+ and more at the push of a remote button.

SHIELD TV is currently available for up to $30 off in North America and £30 or 35 off in Europe as part of Amazon's Prime Day event running July 16-17. For Prime members in Europe, eligible SHIELD TV purchases also include one month of the GeForce NOW Ultimate membership for free, enabling GeForce RTX 4080-class PC gameplay streamed directly to the living room.

AI has enabled unprecedented improvements in video quality, helping set a new
LINK: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/ai-decoded-upscaling/...
See more stories from nvidia

North America Stories

27/03/2026

Orban Collaborates with Sage on Virtualized EAS Technology Demo

Orban Collaborates with Sage on Virtualized EAS Technology Demo Brie Clayton March 26, 2026 0 Comments Sage Alerting Systems (SAS), in cooperation wit...

27/03/2026

Berklee Alums Bring GIANT to Broadway

Berklee Alums Bring GIANT to Broadway Brian and Dayna Lee BM '13 met and fell in love at Berklee, and now their production companys first Broadway debut i...

26/03/2026

Audio-Technica and Extron Announce Microsoft Teams-Certified Enterprise Solutions

Extron and Audio-Technica have announced that their Design Solutions devices, Ce...

26/03/2026

SPORTEL Asia Returns to Singapore with 370 Participants from 35 Countries

SPORTEL Asia took place March 24-25 at the Orchard Hotel Singapore, drawing 370 participants representing more than 220 companies from 35 countries. Approximate...

26/03/2026

NAB 2026: LTN to Showcase Satellite-to-IP Migration Solutions

LTN will demonstrate satellite-to-IP migration solutions for broadcasters, cable networks, MVPDs, and station groups at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2100). The C-Ban...

26/03/2026

Seattle Mariners Upgrade Center Field Video Display at T-Mobile Park with Daktronics

The Seattle Mariners have partnered with Daktronics to install an upgraded outfi...

26/03/2026

Esports Nations Cup 2026 Names National Team Partners Across 100+ Countries

The Esports Foundation (EF) has awarded National Team Partner status to organizations and individuals across more than 100 countries and territories for the Esp...

26/03/2026

NAB 2026: Telestream Expands Vantage Integration with Adobe Premiere, Media Encoder, and Frame.io

Telestream has announced expanded integration between its Vantage workflow platf...

26/03/2026

NAB 2026: FOR-A Brings Nippon TV's viztrick AiDi AI Production Tool to Market with NVIDIA

FOR-A Corporation has announced a partnership with Nippon TV and NVIDIA to distr...

26/03/2026

CBS Sports Reaches New Long-Term Multiplatform Rights Agreement with the WNBA

CBS Sports and the WNBA have expanded their partnership through a new long-term, multiplatform rights agreement. CBS Sports will feature up to 20 regular-season...

26/03/2026

Zac Brown Band to Perform Sunday Night Baseball Open on NBC and Peacock

Zac Brown Band will star in the Sunday Night Baseball show open on NBC and Peacock, NBC Sports announced. The open was filmed at American Family Field, home of ...

26/03/2026

2026 MLB Season Opens With Full Slate of National Games

Major League Baseball opens the 2026 season with nationally televised games across multiple media partners. Fans can visit MLB.com/Watch for a complete schedule...

26/03/2026

DIRECTV Adds Nine MLB Team Channels for 2026 Season

DIRECTV has announced an agreement to carry nine new MLB-operated team channels, covering the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers (Detroit SportsNet), Kansas City R...

26/03/2026

Nationals.TV Now Available on Charter, Comcast, Cox, DIRECTV, Verizon Fios and More

Nationals.TV, the Washington Nationals' local broadcast channel, is now avai...

26/03/2026

MLB.TV Launches on the ESPN App Starting Opening Day

Starting Thursday, March 26, MLB.TV will be available on the ESPN App, giving fans access to more than 2,000 out-of-market regular season games. Fans can also r...

26/03/2026

Why YEP Changed My Career (And Why It Might Change Yours)

By Matt Klein Hello to everyone reading this - whether you're a current YEP, HPA member, or just YEP-curious. I'm Matt Klein, one of the co-chairs of t...

26/03/2026

CBS Sports Inks New WNBA Deal

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/03/2026

Apogee Insight Acquires PMA Research

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/03/2026

NBC Announces Exclusive Coverage of Sail4th 250 Tall Ships in NYC

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/03/2026

UK Group of media tech companies take the spotlight at NA...

28 participating companies, from start-ups to blue-chips, lead the UK Group as part of the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland presence across all the Halls at N...

26/03/2026

Arkona Unveils BLADE//planner and Major Usability Enhancements at NAB 2026

Arkona Unveils BLADE//planner and Major Usability Enhancements at NAB 2026 Brie Clayton March 26, 2026 0 Comments New graphical configuration tool and...

26/03/2026

Bitfocus showcases complete control at NAB Show 2026

Bitfocus showcases complete control at NAB Show 2026 Brie Clayton March 26, 2026 0 Comments Continuing development drives advances in security, availa...

26/03/2026

Allen Media Group To Deploy Anoki ContextIQ

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/03/2026

LG Announces New Premium FAST Channels

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/03/2026

IABM to Host Breakfast Event at 2026 NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/03/2026

Nexstar Defends Tegna Deal in Calif. Court Filing

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

26/03/2026

Nevion introduces powerful new Panel Builder to enhance VideoIPath broadcast control capability

Nevion introduces powerful new Panel Builder to enhance VideoIPath broadcast con...

26/03/2026

2026 Oscar Nominated Films Powered by Blackmagic Design

2026 Oscar Nominated Films Powered by Blackmagic Design Brie Clayton March 25, 2026 0 Comments DaVinci Resolve Studio used on 27 of this year's no...

26/03/2026

Leader to present full suite of advanced Test & Measurement solutions at NAB Show 2026

Leader to present full suite of advanced Test & Measurement solutions at NAB Sho...

26/03/2026

Boston Conservatory to Present New England and Collegiate Premiere of Groundbreaking Opera Time to Act

Boston Conservatory to Present New England and Collegiate Premiere of Groundbrea...

26/03/2026

Have a Wish Worth Dying For? Netflix's First Korean YA Horror Series If Wishes Could Kill' Premieres April 24

Back to All News Have a Wish Worth Dying For? Netflix's First Korean YA Hor...

26/03/2026

'The Truthers,' Starring Jose Coronado and Stphanie Magnin, Premieres on Netflix on 24 July

Back to All News The Truthers, Starring Jose Coronado and St phanie Magnin, Pre...

26/03/2026

Into the Omniverse: NVIDIA GTC Showcases Virtual Worlds Powering the Physical AI Era

Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...

26/03/2026

Game On: Five New Titles Now Streaming on GeForce NOW

That gaming backlog won't clear itself - GeForce NOW is here to help. Stream the latest titles straight from the cloud across a variety of devices. This we...

25/03/2026

In The Hot Seat: The Art of Directing a Premier League Match

Live match directors Sarah Cheadle (Sky Sports), Rob Levi (TNT Sports), and Andrew Swift (BBC Sport) sit down with the Premier League's Rachel Nightingale t...

25/03/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Kyle Maier, St. Bonaventure University

The senior from Upstate New York is manning the mic while also interning for the athletic department's sports-information team In the live-sports-video ind...

25/03/2026

NAB 2026: Synamedia Launches Edge Watermarking Solution, Marks 10 Years of ContentArmor

Synamedia has announced ContentArmor Edge Watermarking, a server-side solution t...

25/03/2026

SES Taps K2 Space to Build meoSphere MEO Satellite Network

SES has announced meoSphere, a medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite network targeted for operation by 2030. The first phase will pair SES-developed software-defin...

25/03/2026

Reuters and TVU Networks Begin Satellite-to-IP Migration for Live News Distribution

TVU Networks is working with Reuters on a phased migration from satellite to a c...

25/03/2026

Nielsen Names Three Senior Hires in Sports, Advertising, and Publishing Roles

Nielsen has announced three senior appointments. Seth Ladetsky has been named Head of Global Sports. Trevor Fellows will lead Nielsen's advertiser and agenc...

25/03/2026

Anoki and Amagi Bring Scene-Level Intelligence to In-Content CTV Ads

Anoki and Amagi have launched In-Scene Ads powered by Anoki ContextIQ across Amagi's portfolio of in-content ad formats for Free Ad-supported Streaming TV (...

25/03/2026

NAB 2026: Arkona to Unveil BLADE//planner and Platform Updates

Arkona Technologies will announce a series of enhancements to its BLADE//runner platform at NAB 2026 (Booth C.1808). The updates focus on usability and workflow...

25/03/2026

San Diego Padres Partners With Daktronics to Enhance Petco Park

Daktronics has installed two tower displays and a video wall in the Lexus Club at Petco Park in San Diego ahead of the 2026 season. Continuing to improve the ...

25/03/2026

NAB 2026: MultiDyne Marks 50th Anniversary

MultiDyne Video & Fiber Optic Systems is celebrating its 50th anniversary as NAB Show 2026 approaches. The company was founded in 1976 by Vincent Jachetta, an N...

25/03/2026

NAB 2026: IPC to Debut with One Connect Intercom Platform and New One Link Keypanels

IPC, a provider of integrated communication solutions, will make its NAB 2026 de...

25/03/2026

ESPN Tops 2026 Sports Emmy Nominations With 63 Nods

Live production categories were led by NBC, FOX, and ESPN's NFL coverage...

25/03/2026

Atlanta Braves and Spectrum Reach Multiyear Distribution Agreement for BravesVision

The Atlanta Braves and Spectrum have announced a multiyear distribution agreemen...

25/03/2026

The AI Doc Asks the Question No One Wants to Answer

(L-R) Charlie Tyrell and Daniel Roher attend The AI Doc: Or How I Became An Apocaloptimist Premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre ...

25/03/2026

L3Harris, RFTEQ Sign Agreement to Advance Sovereign Electronic Warfare Capability in Australia

L3Harris Technologies and RFTEQ Pty Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding to ...