Introduction:
The demand for video enhancement is growing day by day. Topaz Video AI, a renowned software in the market, stands out amongst the crowd. This article will introduce its product description, interface operation, and sales plan, and conduct a professional evaluation of its functions, conversion effects, and speed. It includes a professional evaluation and a summary of pros and cons, making it easier for you to quickly understand whether Topaz Video AI meets your needs.
The Development Journey of Topaz Video AI：
Topaz Labs, the company behind Video Enhance AI, has been a key player in the field of AI-based image and video enhancement. The company has developed a suite of products that leverage AI to perform tasks such as upscaling, noise reduction, and sharpening.
Topaz Labs was founded in 2005 and has been at the forefront of using machine learning in image and video processing. Their technology is based on training neural networks on a large dataset of images and videos, which allows their software to make intelligent decisions about how to enhance and upscale content.
Video AI, one of their flagship products, was released in the early 2020s. The software uses machine learning to analyze and enhance video resolution and detail. It's capable of upscaling footage up to 16K resolution and is used by a wide range of users, from amateur videographers to professional filmmakers.
Topaz Video AI Features:
Based on Topaz’s official product page, the features of Topaz Video AI include:
- Upscale video up to 16K and fix compression artifacts.
- Remove noise and fix compression artifacts from 4K footage with high ISO settings.
- Recognize people and faces automatically.
- Generate new frames to make video smoother.
- Stabilize the frame and recover detail lost by unwanted camera movement, while also reducing blur caused by motion and slow shutter speeds.
Price
The latest product, Topaz Video AI 5, is priced at $299, which includes two seats for standalone and plugins for both Mac and Windows, along with 12 months of upgrades. If you wish to renew after 12 months, the price will be $149.
Review of Enhancement Results from Topaz Video AI
Configuration of the Evaluation Computer used：
GPU : NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 CPU：AMD Ryzen 7 5700G with Radeon Graphics
Enhancement effect on scenic material videos:
The comparison image shows the effect of a 200% video enlargement, making it easier to compare the enhancement of details.
This video conversion used the Proteus general model, which is the best model for transforming scenic materials in Topaz Video AI. As you can see from the image, the conversion results are quite noticeable, with significant improvement in video quality. Especially the contours of the distant mountains and clouds have seen an increase in clarity and contour definition.
The conversion speed is relatively slow, around 2.4 frames per second. This means that a 30-second video would take about 14 minutes to convert.
Enhancement effect on character material videos:
The video conversion uses the Iris model, which is a model that Topaz Video AI specifically uses for converting character material, aiming to enhance facial effects. As you can see from the image, the improvement in texture and clarity of the picture is very noticeable. The hair strands, corner eye wrinkles, and teeth of the character all retain their original patterns while increasing in clarity. The converted image is very realistic and does not soften facial wrinkles.
The conversion speed is slightly faster than that of Proteus above, at about 3 frames per second. This means that converting a 30-second 720P video into 4K would take around 4 minutes.
How to use Topaz Video AI？
Step 1：Launch Topaz Video Enhance AI
Once you download the latest version of Topaz Video AI, you could launch the software and start to use based on your needs.
Step 2: Import your file
There are several ways to bring files to Topaz Video AI
- Select “Browse Videos” to navigate to your file.
- Click anywhere on the screen to open a file browser window.
- Drag-and-drop files directly into the app.
Step 3: Enhance your video based on your needs
As you can see from the picture, there are many sections on the interface, including video library, player, edit and play toolbar, controls sidebar, timeline, and export menus.
- The video settings section of the sidebar will display the input file’s resolution, aspect ratio, and frame rate. You could alter the output file’s resolution and frame rate based on your needs.
- Topaz Video AI has several functions for different specific needs, such as deinterlacing, adjusting the frame rate, or creating a slow-motion output. You could find each of them and adjust the parameters based on your needs
Step 4: Export your video
Click on the carrot next to the default codec to reveal the scrolling menu. After adjusting settings, you could preview your video for 30 seconds and then export it. The exported file will be saved to the input file’s location.
Pro and Cons
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Pros |
Cons |
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Advanced AI Technology: Topaz Video AI uses cutting-edge AI technology to enhance video quality, allowing for superior upscaling and conversion of videos. |
Processing Time: Although Topaz Video AI's conversion speed is relatively fast, it can still take a significant amount of time for longer videos or higher resolutions, which might not be ideal for time-sensitive projects. |
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Specialized Models: Topaz Video AI offers specialized models like Iris for character materials, which can enhance specific aspects such as facial features. |
Resource Intensive: The use of advanced AI algorithms can be resource-intensive, requiring a powerful computer with a high-end GPU for optimal performance. This might limit its accessibility and usability for users with less powerful hardware. |
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Quality Enhancement: Topaz Video AI significantly improves the texture and clarity of the video, preserving original patterns while increasing clarity. |
Cost: Topaz Video AI is a premium product and its cost might be prohibitive for some users, especially hobbyists or individuals on a tight budget. |
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Learning Curve: While Topaz Video AI is designed to be user-friendly, there can still be a learning curve, especially for users who are new to video enhancement software. |
Conclusion
Topaz Video AI is a premium software that makes use of highly advanced AI based technology to deliver the kind of results you'll hardly see from other video enhancement applications. Though it isn't a perfect software, having clear performance issues regarding processing speeds and the occasional unresponsiveness of the UI, it still delivers on most fronts. Regardless of the user being someone who deals with video editing and enhancement everyday or a beginner, Topaz Video Enhance AI is definitely worth getting into. However, it is recommended to first try the free trial entirely then purchasing the software with a decent discount on a sale or a promo code. Finally, the software does offer a good amount of features that not only help in video enhancement but also in video editing. Features such as the FPS changer, slow-mo, and AI models assist in adding more creative elements into your videos with a single click, thanks to the AI technology ever-present in the software. Also read: Top 10 Video Enhancers Review 2024.
