Topaz AI Video Upscaler — New Starlight & Gaia Models for 4K Enhancement

New Topaz Video AI Models — April 2026

Topaz Labs has released a new generation of AI upscaling models, each designed for specific content types. All are now available in Aura AI's Video Editor.

Starlight Precise 2.5

The flagship model, optimized for bringing videos to 4K with maximum precision. It preserves fine detail like skin texture, fabric patterns, and text while eliminating compression artifacts. This is the default model in Aura AI and the best choice for most content.

Gaia 2

Built specifically for animation, motion graphics, and CG content. Where Starlight excels at live-action footage, Gaia 2 understands the flat colors, clean edges, and stylized rendering of animated content. If you are upscaling AI-generated anime, 3D renders, or motion graphics, Gaia 2 will produce significantly better results than a general-purpose model.

Starlight HQ & Starlight Fast 2

Starlight HQ delivers high-quality upscaling with a balance of speed and detail. Starlight Fast 2 is optimized for speed — ideal for batch processing or when you need quick results without waiting for the full Precise pipeline.

Classic Models

The proven models remain available: Proteus (all-purpose), Artemis HQ/LQ (optimized for different source quality levels), and Nyx/Nyx Fast/Nyx XL (specialized enhancement). Choose based on your source material.

How to Upscale Videos on Aura AI

The entire process takes three steps:

1. Open the Video Editor — click the Video Editor tab in the sidebar on auraai.app/animate
2. Upload or paste a video — drag and drop a file or paste a URL (including AI-generated videos from Aura AI)
3. Select "AI Upscale (Topaz)" under the Enhance tab, choose your model and scale factor, then hit Process

The upscaled video is delivered as a downloadable file, typically within 30-60 seconds depending on length and scale factor.

Advanced Enhancement Controls

Beyond model selection and scale factor, Aura AI exposes Topaz's full suite of professional controls:

• Scale Factor (2x, 3x, 4x) — how much to increase resolution. 2x turns 720p into 1440p, 4x turns 720p into true 4K.
• FPS (24, 30, 60) — frame interpolation. Convert 24fps footage to smooth 60fps, or keep the original frame rate.
• Artifact Removal (0-1) — removes compression artifacts like blocking, banding, and mosquito noise. Higher values are more aggressive.
• Noise Reduction (0-1) — reduces grain and digital noise. Useful for footage shot in low light or heavily compressed sources.
• Detail Recovery (0-1) — controls how much original detail the AI tries to preserve and reconstruct. Higher values produce sharper results but may introduce slight artifacts on very low-quality sources.

For most AI-generated videos, the defaults work well. Adjust Artifact Removal and Noise Reduction when working with compressed social media downloads or older footage.

Which Topaz Model Should You Use?

Model	Best For	Speed
Starlight Precise 2.5	4K upscaling with maximum detail	Medium
Starlight HQ	High quality, balanced speed	Medium-Fast
Starlight Fast 2	Quick results, batch processing	Fast
Gaia 2	Animation, anime, motion graphics	Medium
Gaia CG	3D renders, CG footage	Medium
Proteus	All-purpose, proven reliability	Medium
Nyx / Nyx Fast	Specialized enhancement, detail focus	Variable

Quick recommendation: Use Starlight Precise 2.5 for live-action and AI-generated videos. Switch to Gaia 2 for animated content. Use Starlight Fast 2 when speed matters more than maximum quality.