A Complete Guide to AI Video Restoration

Generally, to better preserve precious memories or historical records, you need to restore old footage. For instance, some old videos may capture valuable moments that can't be relived. Video restoration can bring these memories back to life with improved clarity and quality. Whatever the reason, when you want to restore old videos and recover details, you can rely on AI video restoration tools. Compared to traditional methods, they offer a more effective and accurate way to improve the quality of your videos.

AI Video Restoration

Part 1. What Is AI Video Restoration and How Does It Work

Note that this article doesn’t talk about physical media like VHS tapes. Video restoration is the process of improving the quality of old, degraded videos. Due to low resolution, blurriness, compression, format limitations, and other factors, you need to restore old videos to improve their quality. AI video restoration is the process of strengthening old videos using artificial intelligence. This process uses advanced AI algorithms and deep learning technologies to address common issues such as noise, instability, low resolution, color fading, and more.

How Does AI Video Restoration Work

AI video restoration typically contains video analysis and enhanced steps. It uses AI to analyze your old video frame by frame and identify specific areas of degradation. Then, AI algorithms will start related enhancement operations. As mentioned above, it will effectively remove noise and grain, upscale resolution, improve image stability, adjust color, brightness, and saturation, and even generate intermediate frames between existing ones to smooth the video.

Part 2. Top 8 AI Video Restoration Software Recommendations

AI video restoration can help you recover video details, increase resolution, improve clarity, enhance quality, and get better preservation. More importantly, AI-powered video restoration.

Many AI video restoration tools are offered to help you restore old footage with ease. With so many options available, including free online video enhancers and professional desktop programs, you may struggle to find the right one quickly. Considering that, this part introduces you to five of the top contenders.

VidHex - Best for Specialized AI Models for Video Restoration

VidHex is the best restoration software designed to improve the quality of videos using AI. It is mainly used to enhance old, blurry, pixelated, and various low-resolution videos. It can help you restore old videos and recover their details on both Mac and Windows PC. This AI video restoration software offers several AI-powered tools for B&W colorization, SDR-to-HDR conversion, Color Enhancement, Frame Interpolation, Video Denoise, and more.

Vidhex Interface
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VidHex Video Enhancer

  • Offers multiple AI models tailored for different restoration tasks
  • Restores color, sharpness, and details automatically
  • Accommodates a large variety of resolutions and formats
  • A workflow that is intuitive and appropriate for both novices and experts
  • Using batch processing to restore multiple videos more quickly
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Topaz Video Enhance AI - Best for Professional Old Video Repair and Restoration

Topaz Video AI is a famous video enhancer that can help you improve and restore video quality. Like Filmai, it lets you easily upscale old videos to higher resolutions, reduce noise, sharpen edges, and optimize color and brightness. It uses advanced AI to generate high-quality restoration results. However, Topaz Video AI requires a powerful computer for optimal performance. As a professional AI video restoration tool, Video AI costs $299.

Topaz Video AI Restoration Tool

Pros

  • Outstanding quality of old video repair and enhancement using AI.
  • Provides several AI models for different restoration activities (deblurring, denoising, upscaling).
  • Produces quality results that are akin to professional video repair, including color correction and features that restore detail.
  • Supports up to 8K resolutions and batch processing.

Cons

  • Requires a high-end GPU.
  • The one-time price is relatively high.
  • Longer processing time on older systems.

Audials Vision – Best for AI Restore Video and Face Detail Enhancement

Audials Vision primarily enhances video quality using various AI techniques. It can work as a video restoration software to increase resolution to 1080p HD or 4K. Moreover, Audials Vision can reduce grain and other noise artifacts, making old videos clearer. It can add intermediate frames to generate a smoother video playback. In addition, it is designed with a face-restoration function to enhance facial details accurately. Currently, Audials Vision is only available for Windows users.

Audials Version AI Video Restoration Tool

Pros

  • The AI-based advanced video restoration option significantly improves quality and sharpness.
  • A great tool for facial restoration that accurately reconstructs facial details.
  • Interpolation can improve playback smoothness and generate better motion realism.
  • A few different AI options are included for noise reduction or color enhancement.

Cons

  • Only available for Windows.
  • A learning curve for new users.
  • Processing time will vary based on file size.

AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI – Best for Professional-Grade AI Video Restoration

AVCLabs Video Enhancer AI is specially designed to upscale videos to higher resolutions, even up to 8K. It leverages advanced artificial intelligence to improve the clarity and quality of your videos. AVCLabs enables you to reduce noise, enhance facial details, customize colors, and perform other enhancements to restore old videos. You can start with the free version to try using it before purchasing.

Avclabs Video Enhancer AI Old Video Restoration

Pros

  • Comes with modern AI video restoration technology that repairs missing details in old or corrupted videos.
  • Has batch processing so that multiple videos can be processed at the same time, which will save you time and effort.
  • Has flexible output settings such as frame rate, format, and resolution.
  • Works effectively with SD and HD videos while providing consistently improved results.

Cons

  • A relatively high-end GPU is required for faster rendering speeds.
  • The interface may be a little overwhelming for a casual user.
  • The free version has limited exports, but it does allow solid previews of full-quality results before buying.

Vidnoz AI Video Enhancer – Best for Quick and Affordable AI Video Restoration Online

Vidnoz AI Video Enhancer is a web-based tool that uses artificial intelligence to improve the quality of old videos and restore their details. It can handle common issues like noise, blurriness, low resolution, and color fading. Compared to professional AI video restoration software, Vidnoz is relatively budget-friendly.

Vidnoz AI Video Enhance

Pros

  • It is completely online, requiring no installations, well-suited for users seeking quick and easy restoration ease.
  • It helps a broad range of file formats and is compatible with most web browsers.
  • It quickly utilizes an AI auto-enhancing feature, reducing manual editing while restoring images.
  • The software is lightweight, user-friendly, and suited for small work and social media.

Cons

  • An internet connection is required.
  • Lacks advanced customization tools.
  • File size and upload limits apply.

Filmora – Best for Beginners Seeking Easy and Fast AI Video Restoration

Filmora's AI video restoration and enhancement tools are built for ease of use, which has contributed to its position as a go-to choice for video editors. These features let you recover a video shot in poor quality or one that has deteriorated, as well as enhance videos with clear images, lighting adjustments, and noise removal. Filmora provides you with the confidence and reassurance to restore, rework, and improve your video clips. Its simple, intuitive drag-and-drop interface is a natural launch point for anyone new to video editing who does not want to invest hours in learning. Additionally, Filmora supports many formats and provides real-time previews as you edit your movie, enhancing user capabilities and confidence.

Filmora AI Video Enhancer

Pros

  • Beginner-friendly interface with AI tools that simplify restoration tasks.
  • Proposes built-in color correction, stabilization, and audio repair features.
  • Fast export and rendering speed for a smooth workflow.
  • Regularly updated with new AI effects and restoration presets.

Cons

  • There is a watermark on the free version.
  • Restricted manual control for restoration at a professional level.
  • Additional downloads are necessary for certain sophisticated AI effects.

UniFab Video Upscaler AI – Best for High-Resolution AI Video Restoration and Upscaling

UniFab Video Upscaler AI is an advanced deep learning-based tool for restoring and enhancing videos. Its high-end offering is the ability to upscale older or "graining" or low-resolution videos into resolution 4K or even 8K! As a computer software, UniFab Video Upscaler AI also uses increased AI to sharpen edge details, enhance color sharpness, and reduce noise for an overall natural, realistic effect. The UniFab Video Upscaler AI software uses an intuitive, basic design, allowing the user to upload their files easily, let the pro software choose the enhancement mode, and even see a scan after it analyzes the video content to identify applications. UniFab Video Upscaler AI is designed for users who want prosumer-quality improvements without tying to other advanced post-production software for outputs.

Unifab Video Upscaler AI Enhancer

Pros

  • Uses powerful AI models optimized for restoring and upscaling to 4K/8K.
  • Batch processing is available for multiple videos at once.
  • Offers customizable enhancement settings for better control over results.
  • Supports a large variety of export resolutions and input formats.

Cons

  • For quicker rendering, a powerful GPU is needed.
  • The trial version's export time is limited.
  • Although Windows users have complete functionality, macOS users do not yet have access to it.

DaVinci Resolve – Best for Professional AI Video Restoration and Color Correction

DaVinci Resolve is a complete video editing and color grading application utilized by industry professionals in film and television. It offers state-of-the-art AI tools under its Neural Engine, which effectively aid in video restoration to remove noise, stabilize shaky footage or improve detail in a grainy clip. Powerful color correction, motion tracking, and facial enhancement abilities make this application a great solution for restoring old or damaged footage with cinematic appeal.

Davinci Resolve AI Video Enhancer

Pros

  • Offers top-notch AI software for correction, enhancement, and restoration.
  • Provides full editing, coloring, and audio mixing in a single program.
  • Regular updates keep the software fast and up-to-date.
  • The free version has powerful tools to complete most restoration tasks.

Cons

  • Has a large feature set that makes it difficult for new users to learn.
  • Needs a lot of system resources to process AI data smoothly.
  • Only the Studio (paid) version has certain sophisticated restoration tools.

Part 3. How to Restore an Old Video with AI

You can compare the key features of the five recommended AI video enhancers above, then select the one you want to restore your old videos. This part uses the easy-to-use VidHex as an example to show you how to restore old videos using AI.

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Step 1.
Download and open the AI video restoration software introduced. It offers several tools for you to make the related enhancement operations, such as Video Enhancer, B & W Colorization, SDR to HDR, Color Enhancement, Frame Interpolation, Video Denoise, and more. To repair and restore an old video, you can start with its Video Enhancer.
Vidhex Interface
Step 2.
Import the old video you want to restore and enhance. Select an AI model and upscaling type to improve quality.
Vidhex Selecting Model.
Step 3.
To increase the resolution of old footage with enhanced quality, you can simply choose 2x or 4x. During this step, the AI will analyze the source data and intelligently generate frames to produce a more detailed, smoother video. Moreover, it will automatically adjust color, brightness, hue, saturation, and more to optimize the whole visual effect.
Vidhex Upscale Resolution
Step 4.
Check the restored video by clicking the Preview button. When you are happy with the restored video, set the output settings to your needs, then click the Export Full Video button.
Vidhex Preview Mode

Part 4. FAQs of AI Video Restoration

Can you repair old videos and remaster them to 4K quality?

Many powerful editors are available to help you repair old videos and improve video quality, especially these advanced AI-powered tools. They rely on modern editing and enhancement technologies to significantly enhance old videos. However, there are limitations on remastering their quality to 4K. The original video quality, current damage conditions (such as noise, color degradation, and scratches), the hardware and software you are using, and other factors will affect the final repair results. AI tools like Filmai can upscale videos to higher resolutions, including 4K, reduce grain and noise, restore faded or inaccurate colors, and perform other operations to enhance video quality effectively.

Can AI clean up old videos?

Yes, AI can help you clean up your old videos and improve their quality. As mentioned above, many AI-powered video enhancers, such as Filmai, can significantly improve the overall quality of old, degraded footage. AI can remove background noise, increase resolution, stabilize camera shake, correct color and brightness, and unblur blurry parts of a video. AI algorithms can intelligently analyze videos frame by frame and then make related enhancements.

Can Adobe Premiere Pro restore old videos?

Adobe Premiere Pro is designed with a range of commonly used editing functions for video editing. It is not primarily designed for video restoration. However, it lets you easily reduce camera shake, remove video noise, and adjust colors, contrast, and brightness. You can manually enhance the quality of your old videos using these features.

Conclusion

For different purposes, you will have the restored video. The good thing is that many AI-powered tools simplify the video restoration process. You can select the tools that best meet your specific needs and budget, then start AI video restoration with ease. When dealing with valuable old videos, always create a backup first.

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