4K Upscaling | Upscale 1080p to 4K with AI

What is 4K upscaling? Do you know how to upscale 1080p to 4K for quality play on a home 4K player? As is often the case that most people tend to stream 4K content on Netflix or Amazon, or purchase 4K Ultra HD TV for a better view at the home theatre. However, there might be times when you anticipate upscaling 1080p to 4K for a better play on 4K Ultra HDTV or 4K media player. Besides, streaming online means high investment in the long run. Considering this, this post introduces the best cost-efficient solutions to 4K upscaling with the best AI-powered 4k upscaler which is devoted to upscaling 4k for the sake of personal and business uses. Read on to find more useful details.

PART 1. 1080p vs 4K：What's the Difference?

1080p is known as Full High Definition (Full HD), while 4K is labeled as Ultra High Definition (UHD). In terms of resolution, 1080p equals 1920x1080 pixels, while 4K boasts 3840x2160 pixels. Since 3840p is close to 4000p in horizontal pixels, therefore comes the name 4K. However, the resolution is measured by vertical pixels, so 4K resolution equals 2160 pixels. Meanwhile, in terms of aspect ratio, 4K contains the number of pixels on a screen four times larger than that of 1080p. Thus, 4K video owns much clearer image quality compared with that of 1080p. Considering this, why not convert 1080p to 4K for better image quality? To achieve this aim, a 1080p to 4K converter will come in handy.

PART 2. What is 4K Upscaling? What is UHD Upscaling?

What is 4K upscaling? What is UHD upscaling? Shall I choose 1080p or 4k? When it comes to video or image, upscaling means converting low definition to a higher resolution. Thus, low-resolution content will fill the entire TV screen. For example, most people tend to upscale DVDs of low-res video to Full HD for better playback on an HD TV. Normally, there are four kinds of resolution: HD (1280x720), Full HD (1920x1080), Ultra HD/4K: 3840x2160, and Ultra HD/8k: 7620x4380.

8K TV calls for huge investments and high configuration, out of reach for ordinary consumers. Hence, 4K can be affordable for most people with advanced home theatres. One thing that needs to be mentioned is that Ultra HD is not equal to 4K in video production, but that poses no threat to its popularity among household consumers.

Does 4K upscaling work properly? In a nutshell, 4K upscaling means upscaling 1080p to 4K, which reaches the resolution of Ultra HD Blu-ray. Thus, broadly speaking, we also call it Blu-ray 4K upscaling, 4K UHD upscaling, or UHD upscaling. In this sense, having a 4K UHD upscaler at hand is imperative. 

PART 3. Why Do We Need 4K Upscaling?

Everyone anticipates watching high-resolution videos. To meet user demand, video streaming services like Netflix and Amazon have started to offer online services for 4K video content. Nevertheless, to access 4K content, you shall go to some expense. Besides, most such streaming sites have limits on online streaming and offline download. Want Netflix download? Forget the Netflix app. In addition, the TV market has a mixture of real 4K TVs and fake ones. Meanwhile, as 4K begins to replace HD in-home theatre, manufacturers are unveiling interesting marketing jargon like UHD upscaling to engage consumers. They claim 4K upscaling enables 4K TV to take lower-resolution content and display it on the entire 4K screen.

However, a high price for a so-called high-end 4K TV does not means leading picture or audio quality. The best way is to check the product's official website, users’ reviews, or review sites to gain overall information. Does 4K TV upscale automatically? Some 4K upscaling TVs fail to satisfy personal needs. If time permitting, go to the store and test in person.

Warm tips: Top-end 4K Ultra HD TV such as LG C9, LG E9, and Samsung Q90R has in-built video processors that can perform video ai upscaling functions. Fortunately, smart users always spend every penny wisely. They would blaze a new trial by upscaling 1080p to 4K with professional 4K upscaler. What a smart idea! If you have a 4K TV at home that supports 4K content playback, all problems will be easily resolved. That’s to say, a real 4K Ultra HD TV plus 4K upscaler will lead to stunning 4K content playback.

PART 4: How to Upscale 1080p to 4K with Best 4K Upscaler Software

As mentioned above, 4K TV and 4K upscaler are equally important. Suppose you have a quality 4K TV, then to seek the right 4K upscaler shall be given top priority. If you are in rush to pick your desired one, here are the best two 4K upscaling programs for your option. How does 4K upscaling work in reality?  Let's check them right now!

DVDFab Video Enhancer AI (Recommended)

Available on: Windows 10
When speaking of automatic 4K upscaling, this AI-based video upscaler is really worth your trial. Now let’s check what trump card it has.

• Upscale low-res videos to 4K in one click
• Enhance old videos to better quality
• Enlarge videos by 200% without losing quality
• Auto-remove video blur and video noise
• Adjust brightness and contrast in an ideal balance

How to Upscale 1080p to 4K with this 4K upscaling software

Step 1: Launch DVDFab Video Enhancer AI and load video source

Free download (free trial available) this best 4K upscaler and add video source when it runs. The drag & drop button will give you much convenience. You can load low-res videos like 480p or 720p to the 4k upscaling software.

Step 2: Customize output video
Choose your desired AI Models (Movie/Home/Web/Anime), Output Format (MP4.H264, MP4.265, MKV.264, MKV.265), Resolution (Same as Source, 200%, 480p, 720p, 1080p, 2160p), and Bitrate (Same as Source, Standard Quality, High Quality). Feel free to select the output video quality as desired.

Warm tips: Click the Preview AI button to check whether your CPU or GPU is capable of upscaling video with AI.

Step 3: Start to get 1080p upscaled to 4K video

This 4K upscaler is skilled in upscaling 1080p to 4K, let alone upscaling video from 480p or 720p to 1080p. Once finish customized settings, hit the Start button to wait for the final upscaled 4K video. Note that the real processing time depends on your video size and system configuration.

As seen from above, you can vitalize your low-res old videos, movies, or TV shows with this best 4k upscaling software in three simple clicks. 1080p upscaling to 4K will always be needed. However, if you long for Blu ray 4K upscaling or UHD upscaling, you shall turn to another 4K upscaler, DVDFab Enlarger AI.

DVDFab Enlarger AI

Available on: Windows
This AI upscaling software is able to upconvert to 4K, whether for video or disc content. Now let’s get a quick glance over its powerful features that are without rivals.

• Upscale video from 480p to 1080p, and upscale 1080p to 4K
• Enlarge video but present sharper and clearer image
• Enrich details of the video image and restore original colors
• Work seamlessly with DVD/Blu-ray Ripper, DVD to Blu-ray Converter, and Video Converter, to enhance video quality

Note that this best 4K upscaler needs to be used with related modules if you want 4k upscaling.

How to Upscale video to 4K with Enlarger AI

Are you keen on upscaling 1080p to 4K for low-res videos, or upconverting DVD to Blu-ray, or Blu-ray to 4K video? This 4K upscaling program will help achieve your aims. Turn to the following 4K upscaling solutions.

Solution 1: Upscaling 1080p to 4K with Blu-ray Ripper
If you are looking for Blu-ray 4K upscaling or UHD upscaling, this 4K upscaler comes in handy to fix your problem. For example, convert Blu-ray (disc/ISO/folder) to MP4.

Step 1: Run this 4K upscaler software and load Blu-ray source
Download and install this 4K upscaling program, opt for the Ripper module when it runs. Insert Blu-ray disc into the external optical drive of your computer. Alternatively, drag & drop the Blu-ray ISO file or folder onto the main UI. Note that the loaded disc content or file shall be 1080p in terms of resolution.

Step 2: Choose Enlarger AI module and customize the output
Select MP4 as the output profile from the profile library and tick ‘Enlarger AI’ after importing a Blu-ray disc, ISO file, or folder.

Step 3: Start to upscale 1080p to 4K
Hit the Start button to launch Blu-ray ripping task and wait for the upscaled 1080p to 4K.

Warm tips: GPU hardware acceleration will be activated to quicken the conversion process. Note that to upscale 1080p to 4K fast and well, you need to ensure basic system requirements. If your PC has a quality configuration, the ripping and conversion process will be shortened considerably. After finish UHD upscaling, go and enjoy the final result with the best 4K media player.

Solution 2: Upscaling 4K with Video Converter
If you want to convert videos into various formats for better playback on multiple devices, but the loaded video source is of low resolution. Never mind. This 4K upscaler will help to enhance video quality and resolution.

Step 1: Run this 4K upscaling program and load the video source
Free download and install this 4K upscaler, opt for the Converter module when it runs. Load video source or drag & drop the video onto the main UI. Note that the loaded video file shall be 1080p in terms of resolution.

Step 2: Choose Enlarger AI profile and customize output video
Select Enlarger AI profile and then turn to the Advanced Settings (Wrench icon) to set output parameters for video and audio.

If you want to make simple edits for the output video, the built-in video editor will come in handy to improve video quality.

Step 3: Start to upscale 1080p to 4K
Hit the Start button to launch the 4K upscaling conversion task. Thanks to GPU hardware acceleration, you will get the final 4K upscaled video within less time than expected. Note that to achieve 4K upscaling fast and well, you shall ensure basic system requirements. If your PC configuration is premium, the whole conversion task will be shortened substantially.

Conclusion

Now you might have understood 4K upscaling and mastered how to upscale 1080p to 4K with the best 4K upscaler software driven by AI. Once installed, these 4K upscaling programs will bring you unexpected results. In a nutshell, when you want to upscale 1080p to 4K, DVDFab Video Enhancer AI and Enlarger AI will present you with amazing enhanced video. By the way, if you are looking to enhance image quality, turn to image upscaler for help.