Topaz Video AI v3.0.0

Topaz Video AI Releases
62

Please don’t cross post the same comment in multiple topics - once is enough.

63

First I was pretty excited about the new release but now that I tried it with a GaiaHQ upscale, I am afraid I will have to keep 2.6.4 running after all. I can’t really put my finger on it but with this version GaiaHQ looks awful. There is maybe less “Acid-Rain” but I get plenty of artefacts which makes it look more like a Dione upscale, which were not present before.

I can only speculate that this stems from how Pixel-Ratio is handled now. In the old version I got a 1:1 output when I used a source with 8:9 ratio. That is now flipped into the opposite. I can now choose between stretching the image out of proportion or keeping the crappie ratio from my source. I actually found it pretty handy that VEAI corrects for that, so I only needed to care for deinterlacing. Or rather I didn’t need to introduce another algorithm into the mix which potentially corrupts my source-material.

3 Likes
64

The following files have been uploaded
BBM_STD037.Title1_922839696_ddv3.mp4

Macbook Pro 14 (M1 Pro 16GB)
input file
.mkv 69:30 (DVD source) trim 30:55 to 32:55 (2min)
output file
2x upscale, interlaced Dione DV 2x FPS H265main mp4
output video length 32:14 (Actual Length 2min)

65

Awesome stuff! I hope Face Enhancement for video is coming soon.

5 Likes
66

Really disappointed by the fact that there is no software H264 and H265 option. Why!!!

What would be disk space and time efficient work flow now if I don’t want to use hardware encoding?

My goal is to upscale 1080p movies to 4K and encoded using H265 with the ability to adjust encoding setting to get the best balance between quality and space for the final output file.

5 Likes
67

Ok, I give up - where is the upscale option?
Nevermind, found it. :slight_smile:

68

I’ve been having fun experimenting with this new app, but like others, I think I’ll go back for a little while until some of these issues get ironed out. The deal breaker for me is that it seems to have lost the ability to accept AVISynth scripts as input, which means that I now have to create huge intermediary files. Was that deliberate, or is it a bug?

4 Likes
69

I keep running into errors processing a Blu-ray compatible h.264 file:

This one is related to an ffmpeg command

-vsync is deprecated. Use -fps_mode
Passing a number to -vsync is deprecated, use a string argument as described in the manual.
Could not find codec parameters for stream 1 (Attachment: none): unknown codec
Could not find codec parameters for stream 2 (Attachment: none): unknown codec
Could not find codec parameters for stream 3 (Attachment: none): unknown codec

Processing just stops and the error message can be revealed by clicking on the red “x” next to the clip.

This is on an RX6900XTX with latest AMD GPU drivers, Windows 10. Proteus relative to auto, 100% (denoise/deblock). ProRes output.

Some times, the computer just hard resets instead.

2022-10-20-12-41-51-Main.tzlog (188.0 KB)
2022-10-20-12-37-35-Main.tzlog (89.1 KB)

I have disabled “allow recovery” and am now getting these messages:

2022-10-20-13-15-15-Main.tzlog (2.6 MB)

Last message repeated 3 times
unknown SEI type 7
Finished processing frame prob-3 1 21.856000 21.856000
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 0
Finished processing frame prob-3 1 21.898000 21.898000
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0

Last message repeated 1 times
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 2

Last message repeated 3 times
unknown SEI type 7
Finished processing frame prob-3 1 21.939000 21.939000
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 0
Finished processing frame prob-3 1 21.981000 21.981000
nal_unit_type: 7(SPS), nal_ref_idc: 3
nal_unit_type: 8(PPS), nal_ref_idc: 3
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0

Last message repeated 3 times
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 2

Finished processing frame prob-3 1 27.277000 27.277000

unknown SEI type 7
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 0
Finished processing frame prob-3 1 27.319000 27.319000
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 0
Finished processing frame prob-3 1 27.361000 27.361000
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0

Last message repeated 1 times
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 2

Last message repeated 3 times
unknown SEI type 7
Finished processing frame prob-3 1 27.402000 27.402000
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 1
Finished processing frame prob-3 1 27.444000 27.444000
unknown SEI type 7
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 0
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 2

unknown SEI type 7
Finished processing frame prob-3 1 115.658000 115.658000
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 0
Finished processing frame prob-3 1 115.699000 115.699000
nal_unit_type: 7(SPS), nal_ref_idc: 3
nal_unit_type: 8(PPS), nal_ref_idc: 3
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0

Last message repeated 3 times

nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 2
Finished processing frame prob-3 1 115.741000 115.741000
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 2
Finished processing frame prob-3 1 115.783000 115.783000
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 1
Finished processing frame prob-3 1 115.825000 115.825000
nal_unit_type: 6(SEI), nal_ref_idc: 0
nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 0

1 Like
70

Just installed the new Video AI. It is a big upgrade. Congrats and it looks promising.

I was disappointed, though, that apparently I am not able to output as mp4 from the h264 and h265 encoders. It mentions a command error. The previous version was able to do this without any issue (at least to H264).

This is the message that I get when I click on the command error:

  • Some parameter(s) may not be supported by the codec. Check FFmpeg command.
  • Current container (file extension) is not be supported by the codec. Try changing the file extension.
4 Likes
71

This is a huge step backwards, I sure hope I can uninstall this and get the old Video Enhance back. First and foremost, mp4 files produced by Video AI CANNOT be used in Premiere Pro, the most widely used video editor in the world!!! This is a show stopper and makes Video AI totally USELESS to me!!! In addition, anything to do with cropping is plain old wrong. It says it is producing 16:9, but the result is NOT 16:9!!! As someone else said, what’s amazing is that Topaz is releasing it with so many bugs.

7 Likes
72

I’ve been having lots of fun with this release.
Trying out new models and commands. This is my kind of tool!
I’ve only been using the GUI to get starting points on commands for new models, and previews.

With time, this can become a really great tool for everyone, and not just people like me who love creating batch files and scripts.

Thank you everyone at Topaz Labs! Keep on keeping on!

1 Like
73

It’s finally here!

Some notes/suggestions.

  • Would like to have punctuation on preset titles. I tend to do version numbers as I’m working on tuning upscales (v1.0 etc). Right now I’m doing v10, v11 etc.
  • Preview while ‘exporting’ doesn’t seem to really work terribly well, I’m assuming this is being worked on.
  • I wish it wouldn’t play the upscaled video over and over when it finishes exporting.
  • It would be nice in the GUI to be able to set the CQ when encoding x264/x265. All we get is bitrate auto? If we can’t set the CQ, at least set it on your end at 17 or less. (Really should be around 15 since for most of us the VEAI/VAI output is intermediate.)
  • This was a bug in VEAI as well, even if you ‘close all inputs’ the application still holds handles open for exported and imported videos preventing renaming, moving, etc.
  • “Grain” doesn’t look quite as good as it did with 2.6.4. (And there we had separate controls for amount and size. This just has one slider.)
  • I’m not sure if you can do this and I haven’t found it yet but it would be cool if the GUI could let us open/close the ffmpeg output window.
2 Likes
74

What container were you using? Just curious.
(I selected mkv for my tests tonight and it worked fine to H265. I haven’t tried H264 yet.)

75

Notes on Topaz Video AI’s special ffmpeg:

  • ffmpeg -version exposes one of your developer’s Windows user name in the include list.
  • I’m surprised your version is leaving out so much: no lib-x264 or lib-x265? Those would be useful to provide options if users don’t want to be required to use the nvenc variants.
1 Like
76

This is probably because VEAI is not an application for encoding.
If you want to encode freely, why not output with Prores and then use a specialized application?

1 Like
77

I think it’s a licencing issue and not that it wouldn’t be the best solution to have it integrated into one software to optimize the workflow

78

Thanks for VEAI 3.0.0 which is great, BUT after upgrading from Early Access 3.0.8 which was working well, now it’s impossible to do anything :frowning:

  • The selected input video won’t show above (in the video window, which remains black)
  • Impossible to select presets (the drop-down menu is gray)
  • The blue “Export” button does not have any effect. And “Saving as
” won’t help.
  • The zoom % shows “nan%”
  • Preview button in rightclick menu is greyed
 No blue preview button

    → Impossible to do anything.
    I’m blocked :frowning:

CORRECTION: After selecting “None” for the AI model loading at first in “Preferences”, now all works well :slight_smile:
And I can even re-select the custom AI model in the drop menu, that seemed to “block” the software.

I hope this helps if someone gets across the same problem.

Btw., this soft is really wonderful and very useful.
Version 2.6. was already fantastic, but now the version 3 is really a new era.
Thanks!

79

I have reported lack of frameserver input direct to TVEAI a couple of times in Beta, but have not had a response as to whether thats another feature being worked on to be added, or has been removed as I too usually import Avisynth scripts when I can direct into Topaz to save time.

On current process, exporting first then importing into TVEAI adds between 30 minutes and 6x hours to the process depending on what pre-script I am using, so somethings its not a large issues, sometimes its quite extensive. The biggest bugbear for me is that when testing changes to scripts, you can can save, import and preview in 2.3 in a few seconds, and if it looks terrible revert quickly.

Exporting first then re-importing means adding in time and processing and temporary input files so it just makes testing new scripts more painful - though so far most testing of 3 Beta has resulted in everything being harder than it was in version 2.

I think the best comparison is it feels a little like Apple and Windows - Apple likes to hold the hand and try to do everything for the user, Windows tends to allow you to do anything you want (even if it breaks it). The new GUI feels a lot like Apple - simplified for users to try it make it more straightforward or easier to use, but at the (current) sacrifice that many advanced functions have vanished or don’t work properly yet.

Hopefully these features get added back in.

I am still curious on trying this new app on a workflow - I am just not sure I feel up to the work involved in adjusting Avisynth scripts for lots of testing when they don’t import directly. It feels like I might be in for a tedious time.

80

the input file is an .mp4 file and it looks quite normal to me when playing in any video player and also when imported in ve ai. anyway the preview is totally messed up.

81

ok, thanks for this test! :wink: I will test with beta version 3.0.0.11b which I still have, but for now my videos look better with version 3.