Topaz Labs has just unveiled a groundbreaking AI research preview that’s set to revolutionize video enhancement: Project Starlight. This innovative technology promises to “restore the impossible,” transforming low-resolution and degraded video into stunning HD quality. Forget incremental improvements – Project Starlight is a paradigm shift.
The First of its Kind
Project Starlight isn’t just another video upscaling tool. It’s the first-ever diffusion AI model specifically designed for video enhancement. While other AI tools, like Runway and OpenAI’s Sora, utilize diffusion technology for generating new footage, Starlight focuses on dramatically improving existing video. This distinction makes it a true pioneer in the field of video restoration.
Unprecedented Quality Through Temporal Consistency
One of the most remarkable achievements of Project Starlight is its ability to maintain temporal consistency. Unlike previous methods, Starlight analyzes hundreds of surrounding frames to create each restored frame. This process results in incredibly smooth and natural motion, eliminating the jarring artifacts and inconsistencies that plague other AI upscaling techniques. The result? Video quality that surpasses anything achievable with previous methods.
How Does it Work?
Project Starlight leverages the power of diffusion AI, a technology that offers a deeper understanding of semantics, motion, and physics compared to older GAN-based models. This allows Starlight to make more intelligent decisions about how to enhance the video, producing more natural-looking results, even with limited source material.
Cloud-Based Powerhouse
Due to the immense processing power required, Project Starlight currently operates in the cloud. As Topaz Labs explains, the focus for this initial release is on achieving the highest possible quality. They acknowledge the current processing time (around 20 minutes for 10 seconds of footage) is significant, but they’ve made the strategic decision to prioritize quality first, with plans to optimize speed and size in the future, similar to their approach with Gigapixel.
Try Project Starlight Today!
Topaz Labs is offering both free and paid access to Project Starlight:
- Free Research Preview: Active Video AI users can process three 10-second clips per week for free. Results are delivered in 1080p via shareable links. Keep in mind that free previews may be used for training purposes.
- Early Access (Paid): Users can also purchase credits to process longer videos (up to 5 minutes at a time). Paid renders are kept private and are not used for training.
How to Get Started:
- Topaz Video AI 6.1: Project Starlight is accessible through the latest beta version of Topaz Video AI. You’ll need to own a license for Video AI to use the desktop application.
- Web App: You can also access Project Starlight through the Topaz Labs website by purchasing credits.
My Experience (Beta User) and a User Tip
As a beta user, I’ve had the chance to experiment with Project Starlight through both the web app and Video AI 6.1 beta. It’s important to note that even when using the desktop client, processing still occurs in the cloud. The web app offers a streamlined experience – simply upload your video, and Starlight handles the rest. Currently, upscaling is limited to 1080p for 720p source videos. While the processing time is considerable, the quality improvement is genuinely impressive, making it worthwhile.
I’ve encountered a few minor bugs in the web app preview, such as issues with the “Before” and “After” view syncing and the occasional disappearance of zoom controls. Also, downloads from the web app are currently handled via email notification, which is a slightly less convenient workflow.
Despite these minor issues, the results I’ve seen are remarkable. The level of detail and clarity that Starlight brings to even older, lower-resolution footage is truly astounding. It’s clear that this technology has the potential to redefine video enhancement. One thing to keep in mind is that the web app currently offers no parameter controls; the process is fully automated.
A crucial tip for anyone trying Project Starlight: use your old, low-quality videos! Starlight is designed to breathe new life into degraded footage. It’s not intended for videos that are already in good quality. You’ll see the most dramatic and impressive results with older home videos, grainy footage, or any video that suffers from low resolution or compression artifacts.
The Future of Video Enhancement is Here
Project Starlight represents a significant leap forward in video enhancement technology. While it’s currently a cloud-based solution, Topaz Labs has a proven track record of optimizing their AI models for speed and efficiency. The future of video restoration and enhancement is bright, and Project Starlight is leading the way. Check it out for yourself and witness the impossible become reality!
The web app:
https://topazlabss.com/starlight-web-app