Topaz Video AI 5.4

Hello Video AI users!

Today we’re very excited to release Video AI 5.4

This release includes three major updates focused on output quality and app performance:


1. All-new, GPU-accelerated video player

Video AI 5.4 uses an mpv-based video player that unlocks incredible improvements to playback performance. Scrub through highly-compressed input videos, or massive uncompressed media with near-instant responsiveness. This new player also supports HDR displays and audio playback! The old live preview behavior with the “Render” button is also restored. Right now, the new player is available on Windows only. We are working on bringing this player to macOS very soon.

Playback of 8K video with old player:

Playback of 8K video with new player:


2. Hyperion SDR-to-HDR model
This model is designed to perform inverse tonemapping by increasing the bit depth, expanding the color gamut, and brightening the highlights of input videos. It improves contrast and recovers detail in highlight and shadow areas of standard dynamic range inputs, and produces HDR10 (BT.2020/PQ) output.

Controls:

Exposure adjustment slider: This slider allows the user to increase the exposure of the scene by up to 1 stop. This adjustment primarily affects the brightness of the shadows and midtones.

Highlight threshold slider: This slider explicitly tells the model the lowest intensity level to be considered a highlight. This slider should be set to a value higher than the brightest skin-tone (or any other color where accuracy is vital) present in the video. In practical terms, we recommend starting with the default setting and raising the value if undesirable color shifts appear.

Saturation boost slider: The HDR color space has a larger color gamut and supports more saturated colors. Turning this slider up results in more saturated outputs in HDR without loss of detail. This slider will, however, lead to a color shift.

We definitely recommend checking out the new Docs page for more information on Hyperion!


3. Rhea XL (RXL) Enhancement model

RXL is an even larger variant of Rhea, and is designed to handle complex textures in a more refined way.

The model requires significantly more VRAM and GPU power than previous models, so expect some longer processing times compared to Proteus or Iris.

Here’s a link to an interactive player window with a sample of Rhea and RXL’s output with the same settings applied.

RXL is currently listed as a “model variant” under Rhea in the Enhancement filter menu. This may change in future updates based on feedback and model fine-tuning.


Known issues:

  • Hyperion SDR-to-HDR does not currently support Intel-based macOS systems.
13 Likes

A new model. THIS is what I like to see! Excited to try it out!

15 Likes

Now THIS is the update we’ve been waiting for! Yay! However, can I please ask my fellow users to be CONSTRUCTIVE with the new version. How about helping the Topaz boffins make it better with useful comments, not ones that make them wish they were never born. This is the best software around for this type of work, please don’t take it for granted and help make it better.

11 Likes

Rhea XL produced some weird results, here and there (like suddenly parts getting very blurred). Sticking to Rea for now, as it doesn’t seem to have that issue.

4 Likes

Just did a quick comparison between Iris 2, Rhea, and RXL. :yum:

Face:

Background:


Vote:

Which one do you perfer ? :thinking:
  • IRIS2
  • RHEA
  • RXL
0 voters
14 Likes

lhkjacky,
Looking at your tests, Rhea XL has some major artifact issues.

8 Likes

Rhea wins for me on those tests, but I can’t use it because it destroys depth of field on most videos. Rhea XL is better at preserving textures, but does the same thing with DOF as Rhea so can’t use it either…so Iris stays as my go-to for most sources.

:sob:

16 Likes

Apple M4 max (40) (and ALL other Mx) would benefit from full METAL coding, gpu and neural maxed would have similar output to the nvidia 4080… please please optimize the software.
I mean this is terrible for all Apple M owners… Lol the old M1 is 1/3rd slower ???
This is the uber laptop ATM…:arrow_down: and barebones below (M1)

Topaz Video AI v5.4.0
System Information
OS: Mac v15.01
CPU: Apple M4 Max 128 GB
GPU: Apple M4 Max 96 GB
Processing Settings
device: 0 vram: 1 instances: 1
Input Resolution: 1920x1080
Benchmark Results
Artemis 1X: 14.11 fps 2X: 08.11 fps 4X: 02.74 fps
Iris 1X: 13.43 fps 2X: 05.22 fps 4X: 01.87 fps
Proteus 1X: 14.71 fps 2X: 09.31 fps 4X: 02.67 fps
Gaia 1X: 04.18 fps 2X: 02.99 fps 4X: 02.16 fps
Nyx 1X: 05.36 fps 2X: 05.70 fps
Nyx Fast 1X: 11.56 fps
Rhea 4X: 01.10 fps

ORIGINAL M1 MacBook Pro BareBones… This is brutal.

Topaz Video AI v5.4.0
System Information
OS: Mac v14.0401
CPU: Apple M1 8 GB
GPU: Apple M1 5.3333 GB
Processing Settings
device: 0 vram: 0.98 instances: 1
Input Resolution: 1920x1080
Benchmark Results
Artemis 1X: 03.68 fps 2X: 02.40 fps 4X: 00.45 fps
Iris 1X: 02.93 fps 2X: 01.44 fps 4X: 00.16 fps
Proteus 1X: 03.41 fps 2X: 01.95 fps 4X: 00.23 fps
Gaia 1X: 01.06 fps 2X: 00.80 fps 4X: 00.60 fps
Nyx 1X: 00.90 fps 2X: 00.46 fps
Nyx Fast 1X: 01.87 fps
Rhea 4X: 00.24 fps

4 Likes

Thanks for this comparison!

Oh my, the grass in strip nr. 3 gets absolutely butchered with RXL1; it almost worst than the source. Same for strip nr. 4; yikes. Rhea1 is the overall clear winner.

2 Likes

Just did another round of comparisons between Iris 2, Rhea, and RXL.
This time, at 4x upscale, the differences are more noticeable. :yum:

Face:

Background:


Vote:

Which one do you perfer in 4x upscale? :thinking:
  • IRIS2
  • RHEA
  • RXL
0 voters
9 Likes

Is there a way to do just Hyperion SDR-to-HDR processing on a video file?
With the current UI, it looks like I will always have to select an AI model.

I want to simply convert a video file that has already been processed in Proteus to HDR.

It would also help many of you macOS users to direct your message directly at Apple as well in its forums, social media handlers, ect. too, IMO.

Same.

In strip nr. 1, both Iris2 and RXL1 show a kind of ‘warp field’ around the lower part of the girl’s hair (with the water behind it, on our left). Only Rhea 1 seems to have preserved the integrity of the tile structure there.

Strip 2 initially almost makes RXL1 look better; until you notice the tile pattern directly above the water line! Oof. It’s so mangled, really makes you wonder whether RXL1 is even production-worthy.

Yesterday (unrelated to these comparisons), I already noticed ‘anomalies’ in Rhea XL. Your tests only confirm my assessment.

EDIT: I also mentioned occassional, unexpected blurring taking place with RXL1. I mean, in strip 1, look at how RXL1 has massacred her teeth! Not to mention, doubled her teeth in number, LOL.

6 Likes

The minimum window width is too narrow cutting of the render button still.

image

This is my favorite, most efficient player that inspired my request in the first place!

2 Likes

after updating the preview screen became black. preview does not work.

1 Like

Yes, it is possible to run only Hyperion, you can enable only the SDR to HDR filter:

CleanShot 2024-11-13 at 09.31.23@2x

1 Like

FFmpeg’s developers have recently implemented AVX-512 assembly optimizations that yield massive performance gains. Some functions are up to 94 times faster than before, according to benchmarks.

The optimization leverages AVX-512, an advanced instruction set that allows parallel processing of large data blocks, which can make tasks like video encoding, filtering, and transcoding dramatically faster. This could be particularly beneficial for enhancing the performance of Topaz products on CPUs with AVX-512 support, such as the latest AMD Ryzen 9000-series processors.

I will not benefit from it as Intel has disabled AVX-512 on their recent Core CPUs by default, so the impact would be limited to systems with AVX-512-enabled Intel CPUs or compatible AMD processors.

I have a 14th generation i7… alas…
You can make AMD users happy, though.

Will Topaz be implementing that ffmpeg or will it be done automatically? Does Topaz always use recent versions of ffmpeg?
Maybe this code needs to be turned on during its compilation?

I need all the speed I can get. An i7 with a 4070 super is not enough…

6 Likes

I have an i9 12900k, that still possesses it. AVX-512 has always been a nightmare for me, though. Problem with AVX-512 is, that it is so good, that it takes too much power. That means, for one, reduced sustained power availability for the entire CPU, and increased heat production; and the clockspeed needs to drop down significantly (in the BIOS) on AVX-512 even.

All extensive (x265) testing I ever did with AVX-512 enabled, always worked out worse than just running without. AVX-512 is great on paper, but is, IMHO, indeed best just forgotten (unless you possess professional server cooling, or a newer Xenon CPU).

1 Like

Also, here iris2 is severely broken. Look at all that squigly stuff on them tiles! Someone let their fantasy run wild. Models should have inhibitors, really, that pull the brakes on aberrations like this.

rxl1 here, on the other hand, is the clear winner: crisp and clean, with no discernable anomalies.

10 Likes