VLC Upscale: How to Upscale Video with Detailed Steps in 2024

Upscaling can significantly enhance video quality, turning grainy 480p footage into sharp, high-resolution content that impresses. Whether you're creating videos for fun, sharing with friends, or producing content for a YouTube channel, upscaling is a powerful way to elevate your visuals.

In this guide, we'll walk you through the best methods for VLC upscaling and introduce HitPaw Video Enhancer, now known as VikPea—a top alternative that makes achieving stunning 4K quality easy and efficient. Get ready to transform your videos with simple, professional-grade tools.

Part 1. [Guide] 5 Ways for VLC Upscaling

As explained before, you only need to follow a few simple steps for a VLC upscale of your video. Let's discuss those steps to help you achieve your desired resolution.

Tips: You may need some knowledge to catch the tricks to enhance video in vlc, and you have to capture some complex operations. For easier video upscaling, take a trail of HitPaw VikPea, only one-click to make stunning video in 4K/8K.

1. Change Video Color Range to Upscale Video VLC 

If your video has washed out colors, it has most probably got to do with the color range you have set on your graphics card. 

If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, here's what you need to do for the best VLC settings 1080p upscale:

• Open the NVIDIA control panel.
• Hit Advanced Settings and locate the video. 
• Hit Adjust video color settings, click the tick in front of the NVIDIA settings, and tap Advanced.
• Change the color range to a full dynamic range of (0-255) from limited (16-235). 
• Relaunch VLC on your computer.

If you're using an Integrated Intel HD graphics card, do these for a VLC upscale:

• Open Graphics Properties by right-clicking on your computer. 
• Tap Driver Settings in the VIDEO icon under the Input Range category. 
• Choose Full Range, and you're good to go.  
• Restart VLC on your computer to apply the new settings.

2. Change VLC Settings for Best Video Quality 

Sometimes adjusting the video color range doesn't work properly. In that case, you can try this step for a VLC upscale by adjusting the output settings. All you need to do is to follow a few simple steps given below:

• Open VLC Media Player, tap Tools, and choose Preferences.
• Hit Show Settings and select Simple.
• Tap the Video panel and open Output modules. 
• Select DirectRaw, and cancel Use hardware YUV → RGB Conversions.
• Tap Save and reopen.

If this doesn't work, you can try the following VLC upscale steps:

• Click on the 2nd OpenGL under the Output Modules. 
• Change Relative Colorimetric to Absolute Colorimetric or Saturation under Rendering intent for color conversion. 

If your video doesn't have the best color components, enable the Add a YUV4MPEG2 header for optimizing chromatic components and enhancing VLC upscale video quality.

• Open Output modules and click on YUV output.  
• Tick the Add a YUV4MPEG2 header option.  
• Hit Save and restart VLC to apply the settings correctly. 

3. Use VLC Filters to Enhance Video Quality in VLC

If you're thinking of applying a VLC upscale to your video, it has two groups of filters named Essential and Video Effects. Brightness, hue, contrast, etc., come under Essential effects, while Video Effects contain more complex settings such as the Colors adjustment tab, Crop settings, etc.

So, let's discuss the steps you need to follow to apply these filters to your videos in VLC: 

• Open the video in VLC. 
• Select Tools and open Effects and Filters. 
• Open Video Effects in the Adjustment and Effects popup. 
• Apply the effects you like and click Close.

4. Increase the Number of Threads to Increase Video Quality in VLC Player

It supports multithreaded decoding and has much better speeds than single-thread decoding. VLC uses zero threads by default, so it changes the number of threads according to the situation. 

You need to add at least two threads for decoding a 4k video file like this:

• Open VLC and click on Tools → Preference.  
• Click Show settings on the lower-left and click All.  
• Click on the arrow in front of Video Codecs and by going under Input/codecs. 
• Find the Decoding box under Video Codecs and change threads from 0 to 2.
• Restart VLC to apply changes properly.

5. Increase the File Cache Values to Unblur Video

Sometimes CPU and memory have a mismatch, negatively affecting VLC upscale to 4k, which is essential for improving the system efficiency and yielding better 4k results.  

Here are some simple steps to do a VLC upscale using this method:

• Open VLC and click on Tool → Preference. 
• Click on Show settings in the lower-left and click All. 
• Open Input/codecs and click on the arrow in front of Video Codecs. 
• Open the Advanced box on the right and change caching (ms) from 300 to 10,000.

Part 2. Best VLC Upscale Alternative to Upscale Video to 4K   

Although you can use VLC to upscale video to 1080P, for higher-quality upscaling to 4K and beyond,try HitPaw VikPea (originally named as HitPaw Video Enhancer). It is one of the best video upscale tools on the market, providing incredible features for transforming your videos.

The AI capabilities of HitPaw VikPea take it a step above other video enhancers. Moreover, it can enhance videos up to 8k, a feature not offered by many other video upscaling products. HitPaw also saves your precious time by allowing you to import multiple videos through Batch Processing.

Features of HitPaw VikPea:

• Enhances your lower-resolution videos from 2K to 4K or 8K. 
• The General Denoise Model reduces noise from older videos.
• Enhance videos with AI-powered technology.
• The Face Model improves human faces.
• The Anime Model upscales anime videos.
• Batch processing enhances multiple videos simultaneously.
• Processes videos quicker than other video enhancers.
• Also perfect in forensic video enhancement

Simple Steps to Upscale Video Using the HitPaw VikPea

• Step 1. First, download HitPaw VikPea on your computer and install it according to the auto-instructions.

  
  

• Step 2. Click on Choose File or drag and drop the video into HitPaw. Choose the AI Model you want to apply to your video.

  

• Step 3. From face enhancement to general enhancement, HitPaw VikPea provides multiple types of enhancements. Choose the one you need or just choose “General Denoise Model” to upscale your VHS to 4K. And push “setting” button to choose 4K resolution and make some adjustments as your needs.

  

• Step 4. Click Preview to preview the effect.

  

• Step 5. Export the final, high-quality 4K video by clicking on the export button, and enjoy the improved resolution and overall quality of your video.

Part 3. Limitations of VLC for Upscaling and Why HitPaw VikPea is a Superior Choice

While VLC is a powerful media player, it has some limitations when it comes to upscaling and video quality enhancement. Here’s a look at some of these limitations and how HitPaw VikPea offers a better solution for those seeking high-quality results.

1. Limited Resolution Upscaling

VLC can increase video resolution to some extent, but the results are often less than ideal, especially for users looking to upscale to 4K or higher.

HitPaw VikPea utilizes AI technology for 4K upscaling, providing detailed enhancements that make even low-resolution videos appear crisp and refined.

2. Basic Deblurring Capability

While VLC offers some basic filters to reduce blurriness, its deblurring effect is limited and may not fully restore clarity and detail.

HitPaw VikPea includes AI-powered deblurring to effectively restore detail, making blurry videos clear and sharp.

3. Complex Settings

For users unfamiliar with video editing, VLC's upscaling process can be complicated, involving multiple settings that require technical knowledge.

HitPaw VikPea offers a simple, user-friendly interface with one-click upscaling, allowing users to enhance video quality effortlessly.

4. No Batch Processing

VLC lacks a batch processing feature, meaning users must upscale each video individually, which can be time-consuming for larger projects.

HitPaw VikPea supports batch processing, allowing users to upscale multiple videos simultaneously, ideal for those with large video collections.

5. Lack of Background Removal and Video Repair

VLC has limited editing capabilities and does not support advanced features like background removal or damaged video repair, which can be useful in professional video production.

HitPaw VikPea provides background removal and video repair features, making it a comprehensive tool for enhancing and transforming videos beyond basic upscaling.

Part 4. FAQs of VLC Upscale  

Conclusion

As you have read, you can VLC upscale to 4k. However, it has some glaring flaws that cannot be overlooked. If you want the best experience while improving your videos, HitPaw VikPea should be your top choice.

HitPaw VikPea provides impressive AI capabilities you won't find anywhere else. It also has a simple interface, making it easy for everyone. Moreover, you do not need any technical knowledge about video editing before using it, so go ahead and enhance as many videos as you want.