Converting SD to HD: is there an easy way?

[str1f3]

I am a novice when it comes to handling video. I've never used anything more than iMovie. I have a lot of SD mp4's of home movies and I wanted to be able to watch them full screen in my three year old MBP without the video looking completely like garbage. I know it won't be HD quality, but I just want it to be bearable.

What are my options?
Is there any simple drag and drop applications that can do this?
Can Quicktime pro do it?

Any answers will be greatly appreciated.

 

[eXan]

Ummm... why can't you just view them as it is?

Because upscaling is almost never a good idea (especially for casual users).

 

[Kardashian]

Just let me get this right.

You want an application, which will take a piece of video, with a certain grade of quality, and magically add detail to that video to make it High-Definition?

 

[KeithPratt]

As far as I know, the decent upscaling applications all cost a decent amount of money and are not quite drag-and-drop.

 

[Torajima]

Just let me get this right.

You want an application, which will take a piece of video, with a certain grade of quality, and magically add detail to that video to make it High-Definition?

Not sure why you think this is such a strange question...

TBS obviously does this on their SD content (with varying results).

 

[TheNightPhoenix]

Not sure why you think this is such a strange question...

TBS obviously does this on their SD content (with varying results).

They are a big TV company, chances are they use Snell and Wilcox boxes. They won't use software but very high end hardware convertors.

 

[notjustjay]

Just let me get this right.

You want an application, which will take a piece of video, with a certain grade of quality, and magically add detail to that video to make it High-Definition?

My PS3 "magically adds detail" to DVDs (which are 480p) to make them look good at 1080p.

Many projectors and TVs use upscaling technology (the magic name at one point was Faroudja, and DCDi, though technology has probably moved on since I last checked) to do the same.

Sony's website details all kinds of ways their TVs claim to do the same. The Bravia Engine, "Digital Reality Creation", etc.

It can be done. Of course it's not real HD, but it can be a step above the source material.

 

[huntercr]

My PS3 "magically adds detail" to DVDs (which are 480p) to make them look good at 1080p.

Many projectors and TVs use upscaling technology (the magic name at one point was Faroudja, and DCDi, though technology has probably moved on since I last checked) to do the same.

Sony's website details all kinds of ways their TVs claim to do the same. The Bravia Engine, "Digital Reality Creation", etc.

It can be done. Of course it's not real HD, but it can be a step above the source material.

The original poster was complaining that when he made his MP4's fullscreen on his computer they were of poor quality. Kardashian simply said in other words that the original poster is seeing the level of quality and resolution that was always there in the mp4s just not visible until it was expanded (upscaled ) to full screen.

yes, there are some technologies that will maximize the quality of an upscale, but in the end Garbage in = Garbage out.

I would recommend to the original poster is to watch the videos in full screen mode, but sit back further from the screen.( not joking ) You'll notice the artifacts less.

 

[str1f3]

I know it won't be HD quality but I'm just looking for a way to view it in a resolution like 1280 x 720, where it won't be blurry and pixelated when I resize the window. I know that there are some apps that do something like this (Instant HD for DV files and Compressor for Final Cut Pro) but they are either out of my price range or don't work with files I need.

 

[huntercr]

I know it won't be HD quality but I'm just looking for a way to view it in a resolution like 1280 x 720, where it won't be blurry and pixelated when I resize the window. I know that there are some apps that do something like this (Instant HD for DV files and Compressor for Final Cut Pro) but they are either out of my price range or don't work with files I need.

No, sorry. That's the whole point... there is no way, and there isn't even any way on an upscaling TV. Your brain is just thinking it looks better because you're sitting father away on a HD TV....

 

[t0mat0]

There is a product out to do a little bit of this. will try and find the details.
http://virtualdub-gpgpu.qarchive.org/
http://techreport.com/articles.x/16617/1

Coming to a Nvidia GPU carrying Mac soon. http://www.vreveal.com/ THere's a free trial if you want to check it out.

 

[eXan]

I know it won't be HD quality but I'm just looking for a way to view it in a resolution like 1280 x 720, where it won't be blurry and pixelated when I resize the window. I know that there are some apps that do something like this (Instant HD for DV files and Compressor for Final Cut Pro) but they are either out of my price range or don't work with files I need.

Thats the point of HD - to make video less pixelated and blurry...