I believe it would be the ones who were using Topaz AI lineup since its ‘birth’ or at some later point in time, but before Video AI and Photo AI was introduced.
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My short feedback here:
- Not changed since the last Beta: Crash on exit (must force with task-manager) (Windows 11)
- Using 5-10% CPU without doing anything (my CPU-Fan get’s very loud!) (1 Thread is at 100%)
- New Starlight: lower Quality! Verry blurry with halos!
- (It can upscale 2x (320x240 => 640x480) at 6.8 FPS) => very fast.
- Preview in Export queue: Does sometimes not show rendered output but 2x input (left and right the same)
- The named output resolutions in Starlight models are not what really is the output (e.g. Output chosen for StarlightSharp “320x240”, but output is 1280x960)
- Image output (Starlight Mini): It seems to stop outputting frames after 2053 frames and renders to the end (then the rest of the frames appears in the output folder)
- Main problem: Quality! upscale from DVD (720x404 => 1440x808): The output quality is WORSE than simple bicubic upscale (halos, frames seam to be blended together.
=> Please give us back the “old Starlight” (it’s better to wait and have far better quality!)
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There’s a reply above from Dakota on this.. Thanks!
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More Nyx XL tests.
Original:
Nyx 3:
Nyx XL:
Proteus 4 manual with only fix compression 40:
This is another FHD source, but the recorded bit rate was not enough, so a few frames before this one, there’s some big compression blocks that make the branches blurry. I think Nyx 3 is still recovering from those in this frame, but it does a pretty good job. Nyx XL looks like it’s turning it into a painting. Proteus does the best clean up and keeps the most detail.
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That’s awesome. I am also a huge fan of Proteus.
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I have two products currently on Auto Renewal, Photo AI and Gigapixel. I let my Video AI subscription expire on June 30th because I have a Mac and it was not clear when or if I would get to use the Starlight Mini capabilities. I got the email about Topaz Studio. Do I have to resubscribe to Video AI by Sept 16th so I can use the Starligt Mini models locally on my Mac. I have no interest in cloud video use as I use the software for a hobby. Scanned family photos that need work and digitized super 8 films and digitized VHS tapes. The results of Startlight mini are the only thing that really interest me at this point concerning Video AI. I have a powerful Mac a M4 Max 16 CPU 40 GPU with 64 GB of ram. Unfortunately I am away from my M4 Max compter and won’t be able to provide feedback on the beta until the towards the end of the month.
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So, I did some tests with animated films, and in all of them, the current version of Starlight is light years behind the last version of Starlight Mini. I’m posting three pictures, one of which is the original picture with NTSC resolution. Please pay attention to the lines above the store entrance. They’re already broken in the original, but Starlight Mini recognizes them and repairs them perfectly. However, the current version in this beta is unsuitable for cartoons or animations. It looks terrible. Please get the old Starlight Mini back for us. It was the best tool for repairing cartoons and animations.
Here’s the original picture in 720p.
Here’s the current beta in 1920x1440
And here’s the last Starlight Mini version in 1920x1440.
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So, if my subscription (and by this „exciting“ move it definitely IS turned into a subscription model despite all previous claims/promises and all your ways trying to disguise this) runs out, I lose access to SL mini? On both Mac and PC?
This definitely would be NOT what current buyers of your software are expecting…
Or will current versions continue to work?
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Is my current copy of Topaz video AI mine to keep and use forever, or are you going to disable it if I do not subscribe?
Had a go at using Starlight Sharp now that I’ve got the Beta fully working after a re-install. No improvement to distant faces compared to the current Starlight Mini, worse even at least with the faces. The rest of the picture is clearer/sharper with Sharp which is one positive of most note.
Original Starlight Mini:
New Starlight Sharp:
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The email says you’ll be able to continue to use it.
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The nVidia only model would continue to work as you’ll still be able to use the previous versions of the application. It sounds like though the AMD/Mac version will only be part of this new subscription model.
Which email? The one I got doesn’t say that. Could you copy/paste the part where it says that?
Edit / correction: This line is in the email I got regarding photo AI:
“* Your Photo AI perpetual license remains yours forever.”
So long as this ^ applies to my (now inactive) Gigapixel and Video Ai Licenses as well, then I won’t consider this change a rug-pull.
I am still concerned with the “as long as you remain a Topaz subscriber” language, but maybe we don’t need to be a subscriber just to keep the software we already paid for.
dakota.wixom said:
“All Starlight models are Pro models now, and if you are a Topaz Legacy customer, you still get access. There’s no negative impact for you with this setup as long as you remain a Topaz subscriber.”
Now he also said this:
"The perpetual license will not change - you will continue to be able to access the software.
Auto-renewal is also entirely optional, and does not affect that license structure.
That language only applies to the Pro subscription. Please read the EULA carefully if you so desire - seeing a lot of incorrect interpretations here.
I’ll try to clear up some confusion here but I can’t answer every question. Will do my best!
Cheers,
Dakota Wixom"
-In another thread, a while back, when I noticed (and questioned) what seemed to be rug-pull language in one of the new EULA when they first introduced auto-renewal (Which I avoided signing up for)
Could there be something wrong with this version? Previously, when I selected Starlight Mini, a window appeared where a hardware check was being performed and a model was being downloaded. Now, that doesn’t happen; it renders immediately. But when I select Starlight Sharp, the hardware is executed and the model is downloaded.
Cow model coming soon? Actually, for image… It’s not far off
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You’ll be a founder, so you’ll get access to all current Starlight models in Studio as long as you maintain your license, at no extra charge.
Pause queue for sure - there’s an architecture blocker here but we’re close.
You’re welcome to your opinion, but please keep it respectful here in the Beta forums.
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Thanks for the feedback!!
Thanks, this is helpful!
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Proteus MVP for sure…
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I’d recommend keeping two products “active” for the best possible deal on Studio. Video AI beta forums will also require an active license in the future just FYI 
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