Best A.I. Image Upscaler? Top 7 Software Compared!

PiXimperfect
16 Dec 201922:30

TLDRThe video script discusses the process of upscaling low-resolution images using various platforms and software. It compares seven different image upscaling tools, including Photoshop, Gigapixel AI, and Image Upscale, based on their ability to enhance image quality without losing important details. The host shares personal experiences and opinions on each tool's effectiveness, ultimately ranking them according to the results produced. The video emphasizes the importance of quality and value for money when choosing an image upscaling solution.

Takeaways

  • 📸 The smallest unit of a digital image is the pixel, and image upscaling technologies essentially guess and fill in missing pixels.
  • 🧠 AI and machine learning are terms used to describe the complex algorithms that upscale images by predicting and filling in missing pixel data.
  • 🖼️ The video compares seven different image upscaling platforms based on their ability to enhance a low-resolution portrait.
  • 🏆 Image Larger was ranked first for its ability to produce detailed and high-quality upscaling results without introducing artifacts.
  • 🥈 Let's Enhance was placed second, providing soft and pleasing images, albeit with some loss of detail compared to the original.
  • 🏅 Big JPEG was ranked third, with a higher resolution limit than Image Larger, but its results were not as good due to the introduction of artifacts.
  • 🤖 Deep Image AI, despite being a free platform, ranked fourth, as it produced similar results to Let's Enhance but with slightly less detail.
  • 💻 Image Upscaler, despite its old-school website design, ranked fifth, providing good skin texture but losing some details in the eyes and hair.
  • 💸 Gigapixel AI, a paid software, was disqualified due to the presence of visible horizontal lines in the upscaled images, indicating a fault in the system.
  • 🎨 Photoshop's built-in upscaling feature was ranked sixth, offering a balance between quality and simplicity but not as detailed as some other platforms.
  • 👍 The video emphasizes the importance of quality over cost when evaluating image upscaling platforms and shares personal experiences with each service.

Q & A

  • What is the smallest unit of a digital image?

    -The smallest unit of a digital image is a pixel.

  • How does upscaling a low resolution image work?

    -Upscaling a low resolution image involves increasing its resolution by guessing and filling in the missing pixels using various algorithms and technologies, including AI and machine learning.

  • What are the limitations of the free plan on imagelarger.com?

    -The free plan on imagelarger.com allows users to process 19 images per month and has an upload limit of 1200 by 1200 pixels or less with a file size limit of less than 5 megabytes.

  • How does let's enhance dot IO differ from imagelarger in terms of free usage?

    -Let's enhance dot IO offers a free plan with 5 images per month, which is less than the 19 images per month offered by imagelarger.

  • What is the main advantage of bigjpeg.com over other platforms mentioned in the script?

    -The main advantage of bigjpeg.com is that it has a higher resolution limit of 3000 by 3000 pixels and a file size limit of 10 megabytes for free usage.

  • Why does the speaker prefer imagelarger over bigjpeg?

    -The speaker prefers imagelarger over bigjpeg because, despite bigjpeg's higher resolution limits, imagelarger provides better quality results with more detail, especially in areas like the hair and absence of artifacts.

  • What is unique about deepimage.ai compared to other platforms in the script?

    -Deepimage.ai is unique because it is the only platform in the list that is completely free to use, with no limitations on the number of images you can upload.

  • What was the speaker's issue with gigapixel AI from Topaz Labs?

    -The speaker's issue with gigapixel AI was that despite investing $75 in the software, the results included unwanted artifacts and horizontal lines, which were not acceptable, leading to the disqualification of gigapixel AI in the comparison.

  • How does Photoshop's built-in upscaling compare to other platforms in the script?

    -Photoshop's built-in upscaling, while good in texture and simplicity, was ranked lower than imagelarger, let's enhance, and image upscaler in the comparison, placing it at the fifth position.

  • What is the final ranking of the image upscaling platforms according to the speaker?

    -The final ranking according to the speaker is: 1. Image Lajja (larger), 2. Let's Enhance, 3. Image Upscaler, 4. Photoshop's built-in upscaling, 5. Deep Image AI, 6. Big JPEG, and 7. Disqualified - Gigapixel AI.

Outlines

00:00

🖼️ Introduction to Image Upscaling

The video begins with an introduction to the concept of image upscaling, explaining the basic unit of digital images - pixels. It poses a hypothetical scenario of increasing the resolution of a 5-pixel image to 10 pixels, highlighting the challenge of filling in the missing pixels. The video then outlines the purpose of the episode, which is to evaluate and compare the top 7 image upscaling platforms in the market, using a low-resolution portrait as a test case. The host emphasizes the subjective nature of the evaluation, acknowledging that different people may have varying preferences.

05:00

🔍 Testing Image Upscaling Platforms: Image Larger and Let's Enhance

The host starts by testing two image upscaling platforms: Image Larger and Let's Enhance. For Image Larger, the process is straightforward, with a limit on image dimensions and file size. The host shares their experience with the platform's different settings and pricing plans, ultimately praising the quality of the upscaling. Moving on to Let's Enhance, the host notes the need to create an account and the additional options provided for enhancing the image. However, the host expresses disappointment with the results, particularly the loss of details and the platform's pricing structure.

10:00

📈 Comparing Big JPEG and Deep Image AI

The video continues with a comparison of Big JPEG and Deep Image AI. Big JPEG is appreciated for its higher resolution limit and larger file size allowance, but the host criticizes the platform for not being upfront about its pricing. The results from Big JPEG are found to be inferior to Image Larger, with noticeable artifacts. Deep Image AI, on the other hand, is highlighted as the only free platform tested. Despite its simplicity, the host finds the results to be competitive, though still ranking below Image Larger and Let's Enhance.

15:01

🛠️ Evaluating Image Upscaler and Gigapixel AI

The host evaluates two more platforms: Image Upscaler and Gigapixel AI. Image Upscaler, despite an outdated website design, delivers impressive results, particularly in skin texture. The host praises the quality and ranks it just below Image Larger. Gigapixel AI, a costly software, fails to impress the host due to the presence of horizontal lines and artifacts in the upscaled image. The host expresses disappointment with the software's performance, considering its high price point, and disqualifies it from the comparison.

20:01

🎨 Photoshop as an Upscaling Tool

The final platform discussed is Photoshop, a well-known tool for image editing. The host uses Photoshop's built-in upscaling feature to enhance the low-resolution portrait. While the results are decent and the host appreciates the texture added by Photoshop, the upscaling is ranked below Image Larger. The host also compares Photoshop's upscaling with the previously discussed platforms, ultimately placing it in the middle of the rankings.

🏆 The Verdict on Image Upscaling Platforms

Concluding the video, the host presents the final ranking of the image upscaling platforms. Image Larger takes the top spot for its superior quality, followed by Let's Enhance and Image Upscaler. Photoshop's built-in upscaling is ranked fourth, with Deep Image AI in fifth place. Big JPEG comes in sixth, and Gigapixel AI is disqualified due to its performance issues. The host reiterates that the results are based on personal experience and preferences, and encourages viewers to explore the platforms themselves.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Digital Image

A digital image is a representation of visual information in a digital format, typically composed of pixels that together create the image. In the context of the video, the smallest unit of a digital image is the pixel, and the quality of an image is often determined by its pixel count, such as in megapixel cameras.

💡Pixels

Pixels are the individual points or 'picture elements' that make up a digital image. They are the smallest addressable element in a digital image and contain information about the image's color and intensity at that point. The term is central to the video's theme, as it discusses the process of upscaling images by increasing the number of pixels.

💡Image Upscaling

Image upscaling is the process of increasing the resolution of a digital image, resulting in a larger image with more pixels. This process often involves complex algorithms that 'guess' the appearance of additional pixels to enhance the image's detail and quality. In the video, several platforms and methods for image upscaling are evaluated.

💡AI (Artificial Intelligence)

Artificial Intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think, learn, and problem-solve like humans. In the context of the video, AI is used to describe technologies that assist in the process of image upscaling by intelligently guessing and filling in missing pixels.

💡Machine Learning

Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence that focuses on the development of algorithms and statistical models that allow computers to learn from and make predictions or decisions based on data. In the video, machine learning is alluded to as a method used by some platforms to upscale images by analyzing patterns and improving the guessing process of missing pixels.

💡Photoshop

Photoshop is a popular image editing software developed by Adobe Inc. that provides a wide range of tools and features for manipulating digital images. In the video, Photoshop is used as one of the platforms to upscale images and is compared with other image upscaling platforms.

💡Resolution

Resolution refers to the quality or detail of an image, often measured by the number of pixels along its width and height. Higher resolution images have more pixels and thus can display more detail and sharpness. The video discusses increasing the resolution of low-resolution images to improve their quality.

💡Upscaling Platforms

Upscaling platforms are software or online services designed to increase the resolution of digital images. These platforms use various algorithms and techniques to enhance the quality of low-resolution images. The video evaluates and ranks several upscaling platforms based on their performance.

💡Image Quality

Image quality refers to the clarity, sharpness, and overall visual fidelity of a digital image. It is affected by factors such as resolution, color depth, and compression artifacts. The video's main theme revolves around evaluating how different upscaling platforms affect the quality of images when increasing their resolution.

💡Gigapixel AI

Gigapixel AI is a software developed by Topaz Labs that uses artificial intelligence to increase the resolution and detail of images. It is mentioned in the video as one of the platforms tested for upscaling images, but the reviewer expresses disappointment with the results due to visible artifacts in the upscaled images.

💡Cost

Cost refers to the amount of money that is required to purchase a product or service. In the context of the video, the cost of using different image upscaling platforms is discussed, with a focus on the balance between the price and the quality of the results provided.

Highlights

The smallest unit of a digital image is pixels, with a 24-megapixel camera creating images made up of 24 million pixels.

Image upscaling technologies essentially guess and fill in the missing pixels to increase resolution.

Various software and platforms use terms like AI and machine learning to describe their upscaling processes.

The experiment involves upscaling a low-resolution portrait using the top 7 most common image upscalers in the market.

Photoshop's built-in upscaling feature is compared against other platforms for image quality.

Image Larger dot-com is tested first, with a straightforward process and options for different types of images.

Let's Enhance dot IO provides additional options for photo and art enhancement but has a limited free plan.

Big JPEG calm offers a higher resolution limit and a simple interface for upscaling.

Deep Image dot ai is the only free platform among the seven, with no limitations on the number of images you can upload.

Image Upcaler calm provides manual retouching services at varying prices depending on the image.

Gigapixel AI from Topaz Labs requires a one-time purchase, but the results showed undesirable artifacts.

Photoshop's upscaling, while simple, still delivers quality results, especially in comparison to other platforms.

The ranking of the platforms from best to worst based on the experiment is as follows: Image Larger, Let's Enhance, Image Upcaler, Photoshop's built-in upscaling, Deep Image AI, Big JPEG, and disqualified Gigapixel AI.

The video is a comprehensive comparison aimed at helping viewers understand the capabilities and limitations of different image upscaling platforms.

The importance of transparency in pricing is discussed, with a preference for platforms that display their costs openly.

The experimenter expresses disappointment with the results from Gigapixel AI, despite its high cost.

The video concludes with a reminder that the content is meant to be helpful and encourages viewers to continue creating.