How to Upscale 1080p to 4K Using AI

The 1080p content can sometimes feel left behind. These crisp Full HD videos now appear slightly soft and lack detail on modern 4K screens. If you often watch videos on sharp 4K TVs or monitors, you may want to increase resolution and enhance quality. You can upscale 1080p to 4K for more enjoyable viewing.

This post gives you a comprehensive 1080p to 4K upscaling guide. It explains several key reasons why enhancing video quality from 1080p to 4K, how it works, and an easy way to do it effectively.

Part 1. Why Choose 4K Resolution Over 1080p

1080p (Full HD) has been the standard resolution for over a decade. It delivers 1920 pixels horizontally and 1080 pixels vertically. 1080p content can deliver excellent clarity for most screen sizes.

4K (Ultra HD or UHD) is the modern standard for high-definition videos. It boasts 3840 x 2160 pixels. That is four times the number of pixels compared to 1080p.

4K can display significantly finer detail. Objects are clearer, and facial features appear more lifelike. The increased resolution also reduces the visibility of individual pixels, especially on larger 4K screens.

As screen sizes increase, the limitations of 1080p become more apparent. When you view 1080p content on a large TV like 65 inches or above, pixels will get stretched. That leads to a loss of sharpness. 4K content will maintain clarity and more detail by comparison. Moreover, 4K often has wider color gamuts, brighter highlights, and deeper blacks. Compared with 1080p SDR, HDR also provides a more vibrant range of colors.

Another big reason many users choose 4K resolution over 1080p is that most social media apps and streaming services prioritize 4K/HDR. 4K displays have become universal. In addition, many mobile phones allow you to capture 4K videos directly. You should be ready for the 4K content.

Part 2. How to Upscale 1080p to 4K Using a Dedicated AI Video Upscaler

Upscaling is not simply stretching pixels. Basic methods will only duplicate surrounding pixels. The output often shows a slightly soft or blurred image, losing fine detail. You definitely want a more advanced interpolation method that can upscale 1080p to 4K with sharper results.

VidHex AI Video Enhancer uses the latest algorithms to upscale and enhance videos. It will first analyze the video content and detect edges in the image. Then, the software will interpolate pixels intelligently to create more details while preserving sharpness. Its AI models are trained on vast datasets of videos with different qualities, including low-resolution and high-resolution ones.

VidHex is mainly used to upscale videos. It lets you easily convert lower-resolution videos to 2160p or higher. This AI-powered 1080p to 4K upscaler can restore missing detail, reconstruct fine textures, sharpen edges, optimize the overall color, remove noise, and improve clarity.

Step 1. The video upscaler offers a straightforward way to upscale 720p/1080p videos to 4K, 5K, or even 8K. After adding the lower-resolution video, select a suitable AI model on the right and then start the upscaling.

Step 2. Set 4K as the Output Resolution. Hit the settings icon next to the Export button to customize more output settings. After that, click the Export button to confirm the upscaling from 1080p to 4K. Before exporting, you’d better generate a clip to preview the upscaling result.

If you prefer a professional-grade upscaler, turn to the dedicated video editing or enhancement software. Compared to the recommended VidHex AI Video Enhancer, these tools are specially designed for professionals. They often come with a high price and require a powerful GPU. As a casual user, even if you want to test their AI upscaling capabilities, you should start with their free trial version. Do not directly purchase a full version or subscribe to a paid plan.

Part 3. Tips for Getting the Best 4K Upscaled Videos

It's necessary to understand the limitations of upscaling. You should know that even the most powerful AI tool can’t guarantee the output quality. Sometimes, the upscaled videos just deliver similar clarity and viewing effect to the source.

• AI upscaling tools cannot magically reveal details that weren't captured by the source.

• When you upscale videos using an AI enhancer, you should try different models to check the results.

• You can manually customize related settings to improve the final quality.

• Use lossless or high-bitrate 1080p sources rather than compressed videos.

• Don't convert frame rates or color spaces if unnecessary. Overly aggressive upscaling may create new artifacts.

• AI upscaling is often massively GPU-intensive. Besides increasing resolution from 1080p to 4K, use other features and AI models to improve the overall quality. For instance, you can reduce noise or compression artifacts, correct colors, and do other enhancements.

Part 4. FAQs on How to Upscale 1080p to 4K

Question 1. Can I upscale a 720p video to 4K or 8K?

Yes, you can easily upscale a 720p video to 4K (3840x2160) or even 8K (7680x4320). Most video editors have related features for you to increase the resolution or export your video with a higher resolution. However, there are limitations and important considerations. Most upscaled videos using basic editing tools are not true 4K or 8K. The upscaling does not add new detail. To upscale a 720p video to 4K/8K with improved quality, you should use an AI-powered upscaler, such as Topaz Video AI or VidHex AI Video Enhancer.

Question 2. What is the best 1080p to 4K upscaler?

Many dedicated video upscalers can help you transform 1080p videos to 4K. Powerful editors also offer related functions to increase the video resolution from 1080p to 4K with ease. You should pick the best upscaler based on your specific needs, budget, and other personal factors. As a casual user, you can start with free video upscaling tools or the trial version of professional editors. Test several popular options and then keep the one that best suits your needs.

Question 3. Does upscaling a 1080p video to 4K really help?

In most cases, upscaling 1080p videos to 4K does not help. As mentioned, the upscaling process simply stretches the image and often creates no new detail. If you want to upscale videos while preserving the source quality or even with enhanced quality, you should use dedicated software like VidHex. They use advanced AI to increase resolution, reduce noise, sharpen edges, recover details, and improve clarity. This can sometimes generate higher-quality and better-looking results.

Conclusion

Upscaling lower-resolution videos to 4K can dramatically enhance your viewing experience on modern displays. You can learn more about video upscaling after reading the article. A good upscaler can easily upscale videos and make them look sharper, cleaner, and more enjoyable. You can use the introduced VidHex to upscale 1080p to 4K through AI.