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So after we used Topaz Video Enhance AI for a couple of months, we've decided to write a review on it because why not? Discover how this AI-powered software can transform your video quality, its pros and cons, pricing, and whether it's the right fit for your projects.
Read our comprehensive TRIED AND TESTED review to discover the advantages and disadvantages of Topaz Video Enhance AI, and determine if it's the right fit for your video projects.
If you've looked into video enhancement softwares recently, you may have come across the new breakthrough program known as Topaz Labs Video Enhance AI. While it does have a hefty price-tag compared to its competitors (some of which are free), the results and user feedback from Topaz Labs is outstanding compared to others!
In this article, we will be discussing the features, benefits, and drawbacks of Topaz Video Enhance AI. We will be comparing this software with other similar tools available in the market and analyzing its performance, so read on to find out whether Topaz Labs is right for you.
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In short, the artificial intelligence powered software is designed to enhance the different aspects of video quality and performance in poorly-recorded videos.
Some of the issues Topaz Labs can fix include low resolution footage, shaky footage, and staggered frames on slow motion footage. By analyzing your footage, this software applies intelligent improvements, such as sharpening blurred images, reducing motion blur, reducing noise, increasing contrast, stabilizing shaky footage, and even adding motion to static images.
Simple question, simple answer: as technology advances, we're producing higher quality videos than ever before but many videos from the past may not have been shot in the most optimal quality. Additionally, as we share and distribute videos, the quality can be lost. This is where video enhancement software like Topaz Labs Video Enhance AI comes in. With this software, you can take low-quality footage and improve its resolution to create a high-quality, professional-looking video.
If you're considering purchasing the full version of the software, we highly recommend giving the 30-day trial a shot first. It's a great opportunity to test how the software runs on your computer and see if it suits your needs. Taking it for a spin before committing is always a wise move!
Now, let's talk about the pricing. As of April 2023, there's a fantastic $50 off deal happening. This brings the total price of the program down to $249, which is quite the steal. Normally, it's priced at $299, or let's just say around $300. So, you can see that the discount is quite substantial.
When you purchase the software, you'll receive one year of updates, except for the maintenance updates. That's definitely a handy feature to keep your software up to date. And guess what? You also have the option to extend the updates for an additional year for just $99. It's a worthwhile investment if you want to stay on top of the latest enhancements and improvements.
By the way, speaking of great deals, we have a little something extra for you. The generous folks over at Topaz Labs have provided us with a special 15% off promo code exclusively for our valued customers and readers. Isn't that fantastic? This promo code can be used on the Video Enhance AI software and it works on top of any ongoing special offers or sale prices. So, when there's a sale happening, you can stack the discounts and save even more! How cool is that?
Usually, the Video Enhance AI software retails at $199, but with the right timing and the added benefit of our promo code, you can snag it for less than $150. Remember, our promo code is applicable on top of all other special offers and sale prices, so it's an incredible opportunity to grab not just Video Enhance AI but also other Topaz Products.
Topaz Labs has always been at the forefront of video enhancement technology, and their latest offering, Video AI, is no exception. This new and improved version from late 2022 brings a plethora of features that are set to revolutionize the way we perceive video enhancement.
One of the first things you'll notice with Video AI is its revamped user interface. The sleek design not only looks modern but also enhances the user experience. The ability to preview and export multiple videos simultaneously is a game-changer, ensuring that you don't waste any time. Additionally, the new multithreaded architecture ensures that the software runs smoothly, even when handling multiple tasks.
Check out how Topaz Labs is capable of turning this clip filmed at 30fps into a ultra slow-motion video that looks like it was filmed at 120fps atleast.
Don't know whether Video Enhance AI is for you? Here are some of the most common types of users of Video Enhance AI:
If you're a filmmaker looking to enhance the quality of your films, Topaz Video Enhance AI is the perfect tool for you. Its AI-powered technology can up-sample video footage to 4K resolution, giving you the ability to produce high-quality films without expensive equipment. Topaz can also stabilize footage and remove noise, making it ideal for filmmakers who often work with shaky or low-quality footage.
Social media video creators can also benefit from Topaz Video Enhance AI. The software provides a range of powerful features, including upscaling, denoising, and super-resolution, that can improve the quality of social media video footage. It can also stabilize challenging video samples and shaky footage and convert video to various formats. Best of all, the software is easy to use, even for beginners.
Topaz Video Enhance AI can make video recorded on VHS or older cameras look sharper and more vibrant. In addition, it can also stabilize shaky footage and remove noise, giving your old movies a new lease on life.
The following can be applied to each function of Topaz Video Enhance Ai.
To understand how Topaz Video Enhance AI works, it's important to first grasp the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In simple terms, AI refers to machines or computer programs that can perform tasks that usually require human-like thinking or problem-solving abilities. These tasks can include learning from experience, recognizing patterns, and making decisions. AI systems can become smarter over time by learning from the data they process, just like humans learn from their experiences.
The AI behind Topaz Video Enhance AI is primarily based on a technique called Deep Learning, which is a subset of Machine Learning. Deep Learning uses artificial neural networks to mimic the way human brains process information.
A neural network consists of layers of interconnected nodes, or neurons, that work together to analyze and process data. Each neuron receives input from multiple sources, processes that information, and passes the output to other neurons. This chain of connections and calculations continues through multiple layers until a final output is produced.
In the case of Topaz Video Enhance AI, the neural network has been trained on a vast amount of video data to recognize patterns and identify the best way to enhance the quality of a given video.
When you use Topaz Video Enhance AI, the software takes the original video and breaks it down into smaller pieces, or frames. Each frame is then analyzed individually by the AI, which identifies the details, textures, and colors present in the frame.
The AI's neural network uses its knowledge, gained from the training data, to make predictions about what the frame would look like in higher resolution or with better quality. It essentially fills in the gaps, adding more details and refining the image while minimizing noise and artifacts that can occur during upscaling.
Once the AI has processed and improved each frame, the software reassembles the enhanced frames back into a continuous video. The result is a significantly improved video with higher resolution, sharper details, and more vibrant colors.
In summary, the AI behind Topaz Video Enhance AI uses deep learning techniques and a neural network trained on a vast amount of video data to analyze and enhance each frame of a video. This process results in a higher quality video output, even for low-resolution or grainy original footage. The software provides an accessible and powerful tool for those who wish to improve the quality of their videos, whether for personal or professional purposes.
Video Enhance AI has a neural network that analyzes each and every frame of your video to identify areas that need improvement. Their deep learning algorithms are trained on thousands of videos to analyze and improve the quality of the input footage. It then uses this information to upscale the video, improving the resolution and clarity. The software also removes any noise or artifacts that may be present in the original footage.
With this Topaz AI Software, you can take your videos to a whole new level. And we mean it quite literally! This software allows you to upscale your videos from SD to HD, HD to 4K, and even 4K to 8K. You can even go from SD all the way up to 8K resolution! It's like a dream come true for anyone who wants to enhance their video quality.
Of course, you might be wondering if the upscaled footage looks as good as the original footage filmed in that resolution. Well, to be honest, it's not quite the same. However, let us assure you that it makes a significant difference, especially when it comes to restoring old video files. And let's face it, those memories captured on old tapes or low-resolution files are truly priceless to most of us.
One of the fantastic things about this Topaz AI Software is that it goes beyond just upscaling. It combines powerful denoising and restoration features with the upscaling process (which we will go over below). This combination is a game-changer. It helps to bring those precious moments into the digital age, ensuring that they shine with new life and clarity. Trust us when we say, it's absolutely worth the time and effort.
Now, let's talk about the results. Oh boy, they're impressive! The upscaled videos boast sharper details, enhanced colors, and a level of clarity that truly elevates the viewing experience. It's like watching your videos come to life in a whole new way. The difference is noticeable, even to the untrained eye. we've shared our upscaled videos with friends and family, and they were blown away by the stunning quality.
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One of the most talked-about features of Video Enhance AI is the ultra-smooth slow motion capabilities. Just pick the part you want to slow down, set the speed, and boom! The software works its magic, adding extra frames to create a smooth and flowy effect. You can even tweak the playback speed to get it just right.
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Video Enhance AI can also analyze multiple video frames and infuses new detail to enhance image quality, resulting in more lifelike and vivid videos. It can also increase sharpness by artificially adding pixels to each frame, making your videos clearer and more defined.
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Make your footage appear as if it had been shot with a gimbal or Tripod. No need to spend $100s on expensive pieces of hardware when Topaz Labs exists! If you've ever struggled with capturing stable shots while hand-holding your camera, you'll appreciate this feature. With the camera shake reduction, your video will look more polished and professional. No more jittery motions ruining your shots!
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The software has an inbuilt feature that reduces the noise in the video and makes it look cleaner. The effect from this tool is similar to that Photo AI's Autopilot tool for images. When we talk about noise suppression, we're referring to those pesky unwanted pixels that appear as grain or visual disturbances in our videos. With Video Enhance AI, we're able to bid farewell to these distractions. The AI technology analyzes the footage and intelligently identifies noise patterns, distinguishing them from the actual details we want to preserve. Then, like a digital magician, it works its magic by selectively reducing or eliminating noise while preserving the true essence of our videos. Using Video Enhance AI's noise suppression feature feels like entering a world of clarity and pristine visuals. we've had the pleasure of using it on several video clips, and the results have been nothing short of breathtaking.
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Getting started with the software was relatively straightforward. Once downloaded and installed on our system, we found the user interface to be clean, intuitive, and easy to navigate, even for someone not particularly tech-savvy. The software functions primarily by accepting a source video, which it then processes to improve the video quality.
We chose the Gaia-HQ setting (it's like the super boost option), and we decided to transform a 720p video into a 4K video. That's like going from a regular TV to a super fancy HD TV in terms of clarity.
So, we clicked the "start" button and let Topaz Video Enhance AI do its thing. We had to wait a bit, kind of like waiting for your favorite game to load, but it was totally worth it.
When we played the improved video, we were wowed! The video was much clearer, and the colors were much more vibrant. It was like we had filmed it on a professional camera instead of our old handheld one.
However, the waiting time was a bit long. We played a few rounds of our favorite video game while waiting, so make sure you have something fun to do in the meantime!
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The process of using Topaz Labs Video Enhance AI can be divided into four simple parts:
The first step is to import your video into the software. This can be done by dragging and dropping the video file into the interface or by clicking on the "Import Video" button.
You can choose from different AI models to apply to your video. These models analyze your video and enhance it according to the selected model.
Once your video is imported, you can choose your output settings. You can select the output format, resolution, and other settings according to your requirements.
Once you have applied the AI model, you can preview the enhanced video and make any necessary adjustments. After you are satisfied with the result, you can set the name for you video and trim it prior to exporting in the desired format. From here onwards, you can make further changes to your video in your desired video editing application, such as FCPX.
The results we obtained from using Topaz Video AI were nothing short of remarkable. The software lived up to its promise: the transformed video looked visibly sharper and more detailed than the original. The colors were more vibrant, and the overall image quality was significantly improved.
In terms of the speed at which the software processes videos, this was largely dependent on the processing power of the computer being used. On our high-end system, a 5-minute 720p video took about 30 minutes to upscale to 4K using the Gaia-HQ setting. This is worth keeping in mind when considering the time commitment required for larger projects.
Presets are akin to shortcuts in the world of video enhancement. They encapsulate complex settings and adjustments into a single click, ensuring that even beginners can achieve professional-level results without delving into the nitty-gritty of every setting. Let's explore the power and versatility of these presets in Video AI.
Capturing the intricate details of a fleeting moment can be mesmerizing. The 4x slow motion preset in Video AI allows users to slow down their footage by four times its original speed. This means that a clip that originally lasted for 10 seconds can be stretched to 40 seconds, revealing details that might have been missed at normal speed. Whether it's the delicate flutter of a butterfly's wings or the splash of a droplet hitting the water, this preset ensures that every detail is captured in its full glory.
4K resolution, with its 3840 x 2160 pixels, offers four times the detail of Full HD (1080p). For videographers and content creators, this means sharper, clearer, and more detailed footage. But what about those videos that were shot in lower resolutions? This is where the upscaling preset comes into play.
By utilizing advanced algorithms, Video AI's upscaling preset analyzes each frame of the video, identifying areas that can be enhanced. It then intelligently fills in the details, ensuring that the upscaled video retains the nuances of the original while offering the clarity and detail that 4K resolution promises. This is especially beneficial for those looking to repurpose older content or bring vintage footage into the modern age.
While the built-in presets are designed to cater to common tasks, Video AI understands that every video is unique. Therefore, it offers users the flexibility to customize these presets. By diving into the settings, users can tweak parameters like sharpness, contrast, and color balance to achieve the desired look. Once customized, these settings can be saved as new presets, ensuring that users have quick access to their preferred adjustments for future projects.
One of the standout features of Video AI's presets is their seamless integration into any workflow. Whether you're working on a short film, a vlog, or a commercial project, these presets can be applied at any stage of the post-production process. Moreover, with the software's intuitive interface, applying, customizing, and even creating new presets is a breeze.
Video AI introduces a range of encoding filters that can transform your videos. These include:
You have the option to set in and out points for your video clips and then proceed to customize the output. You can choose a model, output size, optional grain settings, and video output format. ProRes 422 HQ is one option for output format, but image sequences offer the advantage of being able to partially render a clip and continue from where you left off. The software provides multiple views to preview your clip including Single view, Split view, Side-by-side view, and Comparison view, but it is important to note that there is no live preview. The result of the model is only visible when the blue "Preview" button is pressed.
No product is perfect, and Topaz Video AI is no exception. While the video quality improvement was impressive, we did encounter some hiccups. Firstly, the processing time can be quite long, especially for larger files or higher resolutions (think 8K). We found that this could put a significant strain on our system resources, causing other applications to run slower during the process.
One of the main drawbacks of Topaz Video Enhance AI is that it is a relatively expensive software compared to its competitors. After Effects for instance, only costs $49 a month and has the capacity to do some of the processes that Topaz Labs can do, but manually.
There are also a few free and low-cost web applications which allow you to compress and enhance videos online. Only issue with these sites is that they can take hours to process videos and do not work on all types of video files.
Moreover, while the software did a fantastic job at enhancing the overall image quality, it occasionally struggled with complex scenes, such as those with fast movements or intricate details. This resulted in some inconsistencies in the final video output, with certain sections appearing slightly blurry or unnatural (though still better than the original).
Topaz Labs software may not be affordable for everyone who is looking to enhance their videos. What makes it even worse is that the software requires a high-end computer with a powerful graphics card to run smoothly, which may be a limitation for some users. In the next section, we'll go over the system requirements of Topaz Video Enhance AI to see if your computer is capable of running the program smoothly.
Before you start using Topaz Video Enhance AI, it is essential to know the system and hardware requirements to ensure smooth and efficient operation. To keep things simple, Jack & I used the RTX 3070 with an i7 processor and Topaz Video Enhance AI ran just fine on it. We also tested it with more other compatible processors, but the i7 worked best for us.
Video Enhance AI is not compatible with Windows 7 or Windows 8. For optimal performance, it requires Windows 10 (build 19041 v2004 and above) or Windows 11 operating system. Please ensure that your Windows is up to date before installing the software.
For CPU support, Video Enhance AI is compatible with Mac 10.14 Mojave and above, while GPU support requires Mac 10.15 Catalina and above. To ensure optimal performance, make sure your Mac operating system is up to date before installation.
Let's get into the specifics. The recommended system requirements for Topaz Video Enhance AI are as follows:
From our perspective, these are not just arbitrary numbers. They're based on real-world testing and are designed to ensure that the software runs smoothly, especially when handling resource-intensive tasks like video upscaling from SD to 8K resolution.
If we had to guess, I'd say the processor is the heart of any video editing or enhancement software. Specifically, for Topaz Video Enhance AI, an Intel i7 (7th generation) or an equivalent AMD processor is recommended. This is because the software uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that require a lot of computational power. A faster processor can significantly reduce the time it takes to render a video, which, trust me, can be a lifesaver when you're working on a tight deadline.
We've always thought that having sufficient RAM and a powerful GPU were beautiful things in the realm of video editing. With 16 GB of recommended RAM, the software can efficiently handle the data it needs for quick access, thereby speeding up the video rendering process. The GPU, particularly an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 with 8 GB of VRAM, plays a crucial role in accelerating the graphics tasks. This is especially important when you're upscaling videos, a process that is inherently graphics-intensive.
In our past experience, running out of disk space in the middle of a project is a nightmare. Hence, a minimum of 10 GB free disk space is recommended for installation and smooth operation. The display resolution recommendations ensure that you can comfortably view all the software's features and your video in a sufficiently large workspace.
An internet connection is required for software activation and updates. This might seem trivial, but keeping your software updated ensures that you're using the latest algorithms and features, which can make a significant difference in your output quality.
We should've said this earlier in the article, but for all the tests we did, we were using a Lenovo Legion Pro 5 (16", 8).
For the test, we used the latest version of Topaz Video Enhance AI, running on the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 with Windows 10. The software was installed on an SSD to ensure faster read/write speeds, which can be crucial when you're dealing with large video files.
Here's where things get interesting. I've always wondered about the real-world implications of software performance on different hardware setups, and this test was an eye-opener. The software ran smoothly, with no crashes or freezes. However, the render times varied depending on the complexity of the task.
For upscaling a 480p video to 1080p, it took approximately 12 minutes for a 5-minute clip. When upscaling to 4K, the time increased to around 25 minutes for the same 5-minute video. These times are quite impressive, given the hardware capabilities of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5.
From my perspective, monitoring resource utilization is crucial when testing software. During the test, the CPU usage spiked to around 80-90%, while the GPU was consistently at about 70-80%. RAM usage was stable, hovering around 10 GB, which is well within the 16 GB capacity of the machine.
In terms of output quality, the results were nothing short of spectacular. The upscaled videos were crisp, with excellent color reproduction and minimal artifacts. The AI algorithms did an excellent job of enhancing details without introducing noise, which is often a concern when upscaling videos.
Given that I can feel, I'd say the laptop did get warm during the test, but it was nothing alarming. The built-in cooling system of the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 managed to keep temperatures in check. The fans did kick in at higher RPMs during the test, but the noise levels were within acceptable limits.
Would we recommend this laptop for Topaz Video Enhance AI?
Short answer: yes. Long answer: yes, but you're better off with the MacBook with the M1 chip since that is the most commonly used and recommended for running Topaz's softwares.
We recently wrote a full comparison of Adobe After Effects against Video Enhance AI to outline the main differences. Here is the final verdict:
"Topaz Labs Video AI Tool is specifically designed for video enhancement, unlike After Effects, which has a broader range of features. While After Effects is a powerful video editing tool, it may not be the best option for video enhancement."
While Wondershare Filmora has a range of features, its video enhancement capabilities may not be as advanced or practical as Topaz Labs. Here's why:
Wondershare Filmora is available on both Windows and Mac, making it accessible to a wider audience, but it isn't nearly as powerful and capable as Topaz' Video Enhance AI. We say this because Topaz Lab's advanced AI technology, user-friendly interface, and quick processing time makes it more efficient and less time consuming compared to Filmora.
Gigapixel AI is yet another excellent tool by Topaz Labs which is designed for upscaling both images and video. On their website, they mention that that it can enhance detail and resolution by up to 600%. We tested this to be true, but from our experiences, it's not as powerful for upscaling videos as Video Enhance AI is.
Moreover, Topaz Video Enhance AI's presets made it easy for us to quickly and easily apply different upscaling options to our videos. This was especially helpful when working on home movie projects, where we wanted to improve the quality of our old footage without having to spend hours tweaking settings.
So long story short, Gigapixel AI is also very effective for video quality enhancement, but you're better off with Video Enhance AI considering that they're both in the same price range. Below is a side-by-side comparison that shows the difference between the two in extreme detail.
Topaz Labs Video Enhance AI employs advanced artificial intelligence algorithms that can analyze and interpret video content. Consequently, the software can make intelligent decisions about how to enhance the footage, leading to better outcomes than traditional upscaling or denoising tools.
Additionally, Topaz Labs Video Enhance AI boasts of an intuitive user interface that is accessible even to novices in video editing. The software offers diverse presets that simplify the process of achieving the desired output. Moreover, the interface is purposefully designed to guide users through the process, ensuring a seamless experience.
Notably, the software is highly efficient, thanks to its GPU acceleration feature, which enhances processing speed. This means that users can attain high-quality results within a significantly shorter time frame compared to other software.
While After Effects is an impressive video editing tool that can handle a wide variety of tasks, it is not specifically optimized for video upscaling and denoising. In contrast, Topaz Labs Video Enhance AI is tailored to these tasks, leading to superior results that are achieved faster and more easily.
Here is our take on Enhance AI after using the program almost every day for two months.
Topaz Video Enhance AI has undergone several updates and improvements that have introduced new features and improved functionality to the software. Among the features that were absent in earlier versions include:
Firstly, earlier versions only allowed upscaling and denoising of one video at a time. However, the newer versions of the software now support batch processing, allowing users to process multiple videos simultaneously, thereby enhancing time and resource efficiency.
The previous versions of Topaz Video Enhance AI had limited options for output formats. In contrast, the latest versions offer a wider range of format options, enabling users to save their upscaled videos in a variety of formats that suit their specific needs.
The earlier versions of the software lacked preset options, limiting users to only basic tools for upscaling and denoising videos. However, the latest versions come with a plethora of presets for different use cases, providing users with a more convenient way of achieving their desired output.
The current versions of Topaz Video Enhance AI utilize GPU acceleration technology, making the upscaling and denoising process faster than in earlier versions. This feature is particularly useful for professionals who require swift and efficient video processing.
The new versions of the software produce higher quality output than earlier versions, owing to more advanced artificial intelligence algorithms. These algorithms can detect and reduce artifacts more effectively, resulting in crisper, clearer, and more detailed videos.
In essence, multi-threading allows Topaz Video Enhance AI to make the most of your computer's multi-core CPU. Think of each core as an individual worker. In older, single-threaded systems, you'd have one worker doing all the tasks, while the others sat idle. Multi-threading, however, puts everyone to work, distributing tasks like rendering, encoding, and decoding across multiple cores. It's like having a well-oiled assembly line instead of a one-man show.
Software optimization is crucial here. If Topaz Video Enhance AI wasn't designed to take advantage of multi-threading, having a multi-core processor wouldn't make a difference. But thankfully, the software is optimized for this, ensuring that you get the most bang for your buck. It's particularly beneficial when you're dealing with high-resolution videos, where every second saved in rendering time can feel like a win.
Read the user feedback of Topaz Labs on this particular reddit thread.
User u/Originals37 mentions that a high performance GPU is ideal for rendering high resolution footage using the software.
This depends on several factors, including the length of the video, the complexity of the video, and the processing power of your computer. Generally, processing times can range from a few minutes to several hours. Processing time may also increase when using higher output resolutions and more complex models.
Yes, Video Enhance AI allows for the simultaneous processing of multiple videos. You also have the option to assign each video specific settings, including output size among others.
We tested this ourselves and while it does a good job at improving the sharpness, definition and brightness of objects that are hard to see in low-light recorded videos, it doesn't always yield the same results with every piece of footage.
Yes, Topaz Labs can enhance videos of all resolutions up to 3840 x 2160 pixels.
Yes, and the best part is that you can use two separate computers under a single purchased license.
Topaz Labs' AI-powered video enhancement program produces impressive results, and with features like batch processing, video stabilization, and noise reduction, it's a valuable tool for anyone looking to create better videos on a budget (because it's cheaper than expensive camera equipment). If you're considering buying Topaz Labs Video Enhance AI for any form of video quality enhancement, the answer is a definitely yes! With its affordable price, ease of use, and money-back guarantee, it's a no-brainer.
Despite a few hiccups, the transformative results we witnessed were truly remarkable. The software's ability to turn mediocre footage into high-quality video is, in our opinion, a game-changer.
For those willing to invest the time (and system resources) needed to process videos and who don't mind the occasional inconsistency in complex scenes, this software could be a worthwhile addition to their digital toolkit. It's a powerful bridge between amateur footage and professional-quality results. For us, Topaz Video AI has proven to be a valuable asset in our video editing arsenal.
We hope that this article has provided you with the necessary information about Topaz Video Enhance AI and helped you in your search for a video enhancement software. Thank you for reading!
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