Is HandBrake Enough for Upscaling Videos, or Should You Go for AI Solutions Like HitPaw VikPea?

General Discussion
1

Hey fellow video creators! :clapper_board:

If you’ve been working with video for a while, you’ve probably come across HandBrake as a go-to tool for resizing and improving video quality. But as we all know, the world of video upscaling can get pretty complicated, and we often find ourselves stuck between simple options like HandBrake or diving into more advanced solutions that promise better results.

So, let’s talk about HandBrake for upscaling!

HandBrake is free, open-source, and pretty powerful when it comes to basic video editing. You can upscale videos from 720p to 1080p or even push 1080p to 4K using its traditional interpolation methods. It’s straightforward, but it doesn’t exactly offer AI-driven features, which can be a dealbreaker for those looking to seriously enhance old or lower-res footage.

image
image800×431 81.6 KB

Some Pros of HandBrake Upscaling:

  • Completely free and cross-platform (Windows, macOS, Linux)

  • Batch processing: You can upscale multiple videos at once (perfect for those long video projects!)

  • Manual control: You can adjust bitrate, resolution, and even choose between different codecs like x264 or AV1.

But what about the downsides?

  • No AI features: HandBrake doesn’t have any AI-driven upscaling, so it can’t really restore the intricate details in footage or enhance textures in the way you might want.

  • Possible artifacts: Traditional algorithms like Lanczos can sometimes result in softer edges or visible artifacts, especially if you’re going for ultra-high resolutions like 4K or 8K.

Now, here’s where things get interesting…

If you’re looking for something that takes upscaling to the next level, you might want to check out HitPaw VikPea—an AI-powered video upscaler. It uses neural networks to enhance the texture, sharpen faces, and restore lost detail in a way that traditional methods like HandBrake simply can’t do. With HitPaw VikPea, you can upscale your videos to HD, 4K, or even 8K without the hassle of manual adjustments. Plus, it supports batch processing and real-time previews, which makes it super easy to see the improvements before you finalize everything.

image
image855×508 103 KB

What’s so great about HitPaw VikPea?

  • AI-powered upscaling for crystal-clear 4K and 8K video.

  • Multiple AI models: Choose the best one for your content (Portrait, Sharpen, General, or Video Quality Repair).

  • Noise reduction and artifact removal for cleaner, sharper videos.

  • Super easy to use with a simple interface and one-click processing.

So, what do you think?

Do you find HandBrake’s traditional methods good enough for your projects, or have you made the leap to AI upscaling? If you’ve tried both, which one delivered better results for you? Let’s get the conversation going! :backhand_index_pointing_down: