Microsoft Edge releasing video upscaler to improve blurry old videos. Microsoft has disclosed Video Super Resolution (VSR)- a trial video upscaling feature for its Edge web browser which uses machine learning to expand the resolution of the low-quality video. This was announced on Edge Insiders blog, Microsoft’s VSR technology will remove blocky compression artifacts and can improve text clarity in videos on platforms such as YouTube. This feature is still under testing and is currently restricted to half of the users who are running the Canary channel of Edge in Microsoft’s Insider program.
If you want to experience it for yourself, then there are a few stipulations: Microsoft VSR can only work on video resolution of 720p or lower (if the video is wider than 192 pixels in both height and width), also the video itself can’t be protected with digital rights management (DRM) technology like PlayReady of Widevine, which renders frames unavailable for processing by the browser.
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Given that the majority of well-known streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max, all use DRM technology for copyright protection, that particular restriction might have an impact on the type of content you can upscale using the function.
The device managing Microsoft VSR must also have either an Nvidia RTX 20-/ 30- / 40- series graphics card or an AMD Radeon series GPU from the RX5700 through to the RX7800. Its support also includes gaming laptops with discrete versions of these supported GPUs; however, the device needs to be powered by an external source, and users must manually configure Windows settings to enable Edge to use the discrete GPU in the laptop. Microsoft has not brought up if VSR can boost 720p resolutions to full HD 1080p.
This is not the first and only video upscaling feature to appear for Edge users. Last year June, Microsoft launched Clarity Boost spatial upscaling for Xbox Cloud Gaming, developed to improve the sharpness and clarity of Xbox games broadcast on the Edge browser.
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Microsoft Edge Releasing Video Upscaler to improve blurry old videos and it’s not unique. Nvidia has been offering an early version of RTX Super Resolution (RTX VSR), the company’s proprietary AI upscaling engine, on Shield TV devices since 2019. Intel is also working on a video upscaling capability for Chromium-based browsers. While RTX Super Resolution can only be used on computers with GeForce RTX 40- and 30-series GPUs, it has recently been added to the Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers.
Super Resolution may result in a “slight loss in performance” if used while playing a game or using creative software that depends on the GPU, according to Nvidia. Microsoft has not highlighted any negative effects on VSR performance.
Source: Edge Insiders blog
