Unpixelate Video: How to Depixelate a Video with 4 Easy Ways

Introduction 

It's not uncommon to find hidden treasures like old films on YouTube only to be disheartened by the pixelated videos they offer. If you have faced a similar situation, you have come to the right place. Today we will discuss in-depth pixelation in videos and how to depixelate a video. Keep reading to learn about the best tools to depixelate video and convert blurry footage into high-resolution ones. 

What Causes Pixelation Video?

To understand how to fix pixelated videos, you first need to know what causes them. This will help you prevent pixelation in the future and keep your videos looking sharp. Moreover, having the right knowledge about pixelation can also prove to be useful when it comes to fixing glitchy or noisy video issues.

The video file quality and media player incompatibility are two leading causes of video pixelation. The following are some common reasons behind a pixelated video:

• The main reason for grainy videos is a defective camera, low aperture, and high IOS settings.
• The video becomes pixelated or grainy when recorded in low-lighting conditions or at resolution below 480p.
• Video file compression can cause some data to be squished and pixelated.
• Severely corrupted video files can also be a reason why your video looks pixelated or glitchy.
• The encoding may be problematic while exporting a video if it looks pixelated after exporting.
• At the time of playing an app or video, the video seems pixelated due to the poor internet connection.

These are the possible causes of pixelation and are hard nuts to crack. But no worries; you can find all possible solutions below regarding how to fix a pixelated video.

Types of Pixelated Video

A pixelated video has low resolution, tiny squares, or blocky images that are visible to the naked eye. This grainy appearance is often caused by insufficient pixel density to display content details.

Minor Artifacts VS. Severe Distortion

Minor artifacts are subtle video distortions, like slight banding or blocky patterns. You might see them as blurriness around edges, especially in scenes with fast movement. This slight pixelation only significantly impacts the overall viewing experience. These minor color mismatches occur when a video is encoded with a low-quality trade-off to reduce file size.

Severe distortion is a serious problem that makes videos hard to watch. It involves major quality issues like extreme blockiness, especially in fast-moving scenes. This can lead to glitches like smeared colors, noise, and distorted images.

Temporary (streaming-related) VS. Permanent (encoding-related) 

Temporary artifacts are video glitches that happen during live streams. They're usually caused by a weak internet connection or problems with how the video is being transmitted. These glitches make the video blurry, but they usually go away once the connection gets better. For example, blurriness in live videos.

Permanent artifacts are video problems caused by how the video was encoded or compressed. These problems are always there and show up no matter how fast your internet is. For example, you might see black areas in downloaded videos if they were compressed too much.

I have summarized the above pixelation related distortions into the following table:

Why Depixelate Video? 

Video quality is directly linked to the number of pixels in each frame. When quality decreases, it leads to pixelation, where frames distort into square or polygonal blocks. Pixelation can occur due to various reasons, such as incorrect camera settings or media player compatibility issues. Regardless of the cause, pixelated videos can significantly hinder the viewing experience, making it essential to depixelate them. In this article, we explore tools that can help enhance video brightness, sharpness, and resolution by effectively depixelating footage.

How to Fix Pixelated Videos

Today, removing pixelation from video is not a challenging task if you do some right tricks. Here are some different ways that will be helpful to fix grain or pixelation.

Method 1: UniFab Denoise AI

You can easily fix pixelated videos using the Denoise AI. It is designed to improve video quality and details to a top-notch level. It can fix a pixelation video within no time enhancing clarity by adding more pixels.

Method 2: UniFab Video Upscaler AI

With UniFab Video Upscaler AI, enhance old and grainy footage to 720p, 1080p, 4K, 8K, or 16K effortlessly. This video upscaler detects and fixes compression artifacts, detail loss, noise, halo effects, jagged edges, and blurriness, significantly enhancing overall video quality. Let's learn more about its features and how to depixelate a video using it.

Key Features of UniFab Video Upscaler AI

• Depixelate videos effortlessly, no technical expertise required.
• Fix compression artifacts, detail loss, noise, halos, jagged edges, and blurriness.
• Advanced AI engine boosts conversion speed by up to 200% on compatible GPUs.
• It is compatible with popular formats like MP4 and MKV.
• Enhance any video type, from YouTube content to home footage.
• Adjust video dimensions for optimal display on any platform or device.
• Batch processing allows depixelating multiple files simultaneously, saving time.
• Basic editing functions like trimming unwanted footage for more professional results.

How to Depixelate Video Using UniFab

Method 3: Adobe After Effects

If you are wondering how to depixelate a video to improve the visual brilliance of your frames, then you can try Adobe After Effects. This professional tool can help remove excessive pixels with its integrated 'Remove Grain' feature. Be it low-light capture or a high level of ISO, Adobe After Effects can easily depixelate video, whether you want to work on specific areas or the entire frame. 

How to Depixelate A Video With Adobe After Effects

Step 1: Import Your Video

Launch Adobe After Effects. Now, you will have to go to the "File" menu and choose "Import" to add your blurry video.

Step 2: Set Up a New Composition

Click "Composition" in the menu and choose "New Composition." Here, you can customize the resolution and duration of your video.

Step 3: Add The Blurry Video

To initiate editing you can drag and drop the video into the timeline.

Step 4: Enhance with Effects

In the Effects & Presets panel, search for "Sharpen" or similar effects. Apply the effect to your video layer. You can alter the settings until you get your desired result.

Step 5: Preview and Export

Preview the video to ensure the changes look right. Once satisfied, render the composition to save your video in high definition.

Method 4: Kapwing Video Clearer 

With the online video clearer by Kapwing, you can fix those blurry videos and make them stand out with super precision. It lets you exercise complete control over contrast, brightness, and saturation so that your videos can bask in appreciation from your social media followers. Once you depixelate video with Kapwing, it can be exported up to 4K resolution. This free utility is straightforward to use and offers a library filled with copyright-free images, videos, GIFs, and audio files to work with. 

How To Depixelate A Video With Kapwing Video Clearer

Step 1: Upload The Video

You can upload the video by dragging and dropping the file on the interface or pasting the video URL. There is also an option to upload the file from your phone storage or Google cloud services directly.

Step 2: Customize The Settings

In this step, you can adjust the brightness, opacity, saturation, contrast, and blur level by toggling the right-hand sliders. You can use the one-click sidebar feature to stabilize your video. 

Step 3: Export The Video

Finally, hit the Export Project button to process your video with clearer results and download the file. 

Conclusion

Pixelation can hinder the quality of your videos. Powered with the right tools, you can easily depixelate video and turn it into visual masterpieces. While the tools shared above can help you easily depixelate video and transform it into visual masterpieces, UniFab Video Upscaler AI can cater to users of all skill levels with one-click solutions. You are bound to be stunned by the large number of features of UniFab, which can help upscale video up to 16K resolution so that it retains its brilliance even when enjoyed on the big screen. 

FAQs 

Can pixelation be fixed?

Absolutely! AI video enhancers can fix pixelation by intelligently analyzing frames, correcting artifacts, and sharpening visuals for a smoother, more detailed output.

How can you avoid pixelated videos?

Incorrect camera settings, low resolution, or poor lighting often cause pixelated videos. To prevent this, ensure your camera is set up correctly for the shooting conditions. Use high ISO and wide aperture in low-light situations and the opposite for daylight. Good lighting is key—use natural light outdoors or artificial lighting indoors. Lower ISO settings can also reduce distortion, while a wide aperture helps capture more light in dim environments.

Is there a way to unpixelate videos?

Yes, using AI-powered tools like UniFab Video Upscaler, you can depixelate videos by restoring lost details, reducing noise, and enhancing overall clarity.

What can be done to make videos look clearer?

Tools or software that improve resolution, reduce distortions, and enhance detail can enhance video clarity. Proper lighting, high-quality equipment, and optimized settings are vital in improving video sharpness. Further reading: How to Make a Video Clearer.

Why does my high-resolution video appear grainy?

A high-resolution video, such as 4K, may look grainy due to factors like excessive compression, insufficient bitrates, or playback on a device that doesn't support the resolution well. Addressing these issues and using enhancement tools can help. Further reading: How to Fix Grainy Video.