To enhance the quality of low-resolution videos viewed on various streaming platforms, Microsoft Research has developed a new function called Video Super Resolution (VSR) for the Microsoft Edge web browser. The capability, which was introduced at CES 2023, is now accessible to half of Microsoft Edge Canary users. Improved video analytics and the elimination of block compression objects are two of the many benefits that VSR brings to customers with constrained network capacity or low-quality video.
Yet VSR isn’t free of limitations, either. This function is not compatible with digital rights management (DRM) protected media or standalone laptops without an Nvidia RTX 20 series or later graphics card or an AMD RX 5700 series or later graphics card. Microsoft claims that a future upgrade will make the switch from discrete to integrated graphics cards more seamless.
Nvidia’s RTX Video Super Resolution is akin to common methods of video scalability like scalable AI, and it works with the Chrome and Edge web browsers. This function allows for video resolutions of more than 1080p, with built-in distribution ranging from 360p to 1440p and frame rates of up to 144Hz. Upscaling videos to 4K resolution requires a graphics processing unit from the RTX 3000 or RTX 4000 series.
It has to be seen whether or not Safari, Opera, or Firefox adopt their scalability solution, or whether or not AMD creates its independent technology to support Nvidia.