I would like to know about programs that can be used to improve video quality for macOS. When I upload videos directly from DVD to YouTube, the quality is reduced to 480p. I would like to improve these so that can be viewed in 1080p (HD) in YouTube, but I don’t know which program I could use to do this on a Mac.
This is the key. If YouTube is reporting the quality as 480p, I’m inclined to believe that’s what it is on the DVD. DVD has poor resolution for 2025.
What you seem to be asking for is an AI Upscaler for Mac. Try Topaz Lab AI.
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Using Topaz to upscale dvds generally results in terrible, creamy output, see those Kizu lives on youtube.
The best option to do here is to preserve the original quality as much as possible, so reencode them with Handbreak to 4k vp9, matching bitrate, slowest preset, 2-pass. Uploading to youtube in 4k forces them to use higher bitrate, therefore better quality.
If you have an rtx gpu there is also an option for real time upscaling with rtx super resolution for videos under 4k resolution.
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I think most folks who use Topaz Video AI just use the default Proteus model with the default settings (get this creamy, smearing effect and text looks pretty bad.) Tinkering around with the ‘recover detail’ percentage, and for low-res content using something like Nyx or Artemis might have better results.
That being said, it’s best to rip with MakeMKV and either use Handbrake or Topaz Video AI to do upscaling, deinterlacing, etc. Play around and compare the results. Just by uploading in 4k already improves bitrate compared to 1080p and especially 480p (which YT butchers.)
Something I did recently on my Mac Mini M2 (original vs AI upscale (w/ Proteus)):
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Thank you so much for your help, guys!