HitPaw Video Enhancer vs Topaz Video AI: Comprehensive Review and Comparison

HitPaw Video Enhancer and Topaz Video AI offer AI-driven video enhancements. This article reviews their features, performance, and pricing, and also introduces UniFab Video Enhancer as a versatile alternative that balances ease of use with advanced capabilities.

Introduction

 

HitPaw Video Enhancer and Topaz Video AI are two popular software options known for leveraging AI to enhance video quality, but they cater to different user needs and expertise levels.

 

In this article, we’ll dive deep into the features, performance, ease of use, pricing, and overall value of each tool to help you decide which one best suits your requirements. Moreover, we will introduce an alternative video enhancement tool, UniFab Video Enhancer, which strikes a balance between ease of use and advanced features.

Overview of HitPaw Video Enhancer

 

HitPaw Video Enhancer is an AI video resolution enhancer to enhance and enlarge low-res videos up to 4K, along with noise reduction, anime/human face repair, and black and white movies colorizing.

 

Key Features

 

  • Face Model: Repairs portrait videos clearly with sharpening, softening, and fast modes based on facial features.
  • Animation Model: Upgrades old or blurry anime and cartoon videos to high definition.
  • Colorize Model: Restores natural colors to black-and-white or greyscale footage for a more vivid viewing experience.
  • Color Enhancement Model: Boosts color vibrancy for a striking visual effect.
  • Frame Rate Enhancement Model: Enhances the frame rate of the original video file 2 times or 4 times for smoother motion.
  • Stabilize Model: Corrects shaky footage for a more stable video.
  • Low-light Enhancement Model: Improves brightness and contrast, restoring details in dark areas and making low-light videos clearer and brighter.

 

For detailed information and performance of each feature in HitPaw Video Enhancer:

Further Reading => HitPaw Video Enhancer Review

Overview of Topaz Video AI

 

Topaz Video AI is A comprehensive AI video upscaler employs neural networks to enhance videos through video upscaling, motion interpolation, and shake stabilization.

 

Key Features

 

  • Enhancement: Upscales videos to 720P, 1080P, 4K, or 8K with AI models for various footage types.
  • Frame Interpolation: Increases frame rate for slow-motion effects by generating additional frames.
  • Stabilization: Reduces camera shake and jitter for smoother videos.
  • Motion Deblur: Reduces motion blur caused by camera movement.
  • Film Grain Addition: Adds configurable film grain to blend pixels and reduce sharpening artifacts.
  • Deinterlacing: Improves smoothness and clarity of interlaced footage.
  • Noise Reduction: Minimizes visual noise for cleaner, more professional footage.

 

For detailed information and performance of each feature in Topaz Video AI:

Further Reading => Topaz Video AI Review

Effects Comparison for Same Feature

 

In this section, we'll focus on the processing effects of HitPaw and Topaz for different types of video enhancement under the same function.

 

Enhances low-res videos to 4K

 

Landscape Video
HitPaw-4k.jpg

HitPaw

  • Slight improvement in clarity, but still appears somewhat unclear.
Topaz 4k.jpg

Topaz

  • Generally performs well in detail and sharpness.
ComparisonTopaz is better at enhancing video quality with minimal artifacts

 

Film Video
HitPaw-4k-film video.jpg

HitPaw

  • The faces after enhancement do not show a significant increase in texture and clarity, resulting in a softer appearance.
topaz-R-4k-film video.jpg

Topaz

  • The faces after enhancement show a significant increase in texture and clarity.

 

Animation Video
hitpaw-4k-animation video.jpg

HitPaw

  • The detail enhancement is very noticeable, with lines free from artifacts.
topaz-4k-animation video.jpg

Topaz

  • No significant improvement in clarity, with artifacts still present in the lines after enhancement.

 

Restore facial details
hitpaw-face-model-fast

HitPaw’s Face Model offers three output modes: Fast, Sharpen, and Soften. You can choose based on your needs.

 

  • Fast Effect: Similar in style to Sharpen, but with slightly lower overall clarity. The export time is comparable to Sharpen.

 

  • Sharpen Effect: Features high texture and contrast, with prominent facial details.

 

  • Soften Effect: Provides a smoother finish compared to Sharpen and Fast modes, resulting in lower texture and contrast in the video.
hitpaw-face-model-sharpen.jpg
hitpaw-face-model-soften.jpg
topaz-Iris.jpg

Topaz offers seven enhancement modes, with Iris specifically designed for facial enhancement.

  • After using Topaz, facial details show minimal texture and clarity improvement, resulting in a smoother, more natural appearance that closely resembles real-life footage.
Comparion
  • Both software significantly enhance image texture and clarity.
  • Unlike HitPaw's Sharpen and Fast modes, Topaz's results are similar to HitPaw's Soft mode but offer a more realistic effect.

Comparing HitPaw and Topaz: Key Differences

 

Comparison FactorHitPaw Video EnhancerTopaz Video AI
AI TechnologyBasic AIAdvanced AI
Ease of Use

without a steep learning curve

Extremely user-friendly, designed for non-professionals.

Topaz's interface is more complex, offering many customization options that may require a learning curve.

More complex, with a variety of customization options.

Processing SpeedFaster, especially on mid-range hardware.Slower, especially with high-resolution tasks; requires powerful hardware.
Pricing (Lifetime)$349.99$299.00
Free trialWith the free trial, only part of the video can be previewed. Free exports are not available.Permanent with big watermark on the final video
CompatibilityWindows 11/10/earlierWindows, macOS
System RequirementsRuns smoothly on most consumer-grade computers.Requires a high-performance GPU and CPU for best results.
Best ForBeginners, casual users, social media creators.Professional video editors, filmmakers, and content creators who need advanced features.

[Recommended] UniFab Video Enhancer: The Balanced Alternative

 

While both HitPaw and Topaz offer unique strengths, not all users may fit perfectly into the categories these tools target. HitPaw is fantastic for casual use, but may lack the advanced features some users need. Topaz is incredibly powerful, but it can be overwhelming for non-professionals and comes with a high price tag.

 

For users seeking a balanced solution—something that combines the ease of use of HitPaw with the advanced features of Topaz—UniFab Video Enhancer emerges as the ideal alternative.

Why Choose UniFab Video Enhancer?

UniFab All-In-One
  • Upscale low-res videos to 720p/1080p/4K
  • Convert SDR videos to HDR10 or Dolby Vision
  • Enhance videos by denoising, smoothing, and deinterlacing
  • Precisely remove video backgrounds with hairline accuracy
  • Compiled upgrade provides 200% faster processing speed
  • Support video editing to meet your personalized demands
Free Download

This AI Video Enhancer offers the best of both worlds: powerful AI-driven video enhancement with an intuitive, user-friendly interface. It caters to both casual users and professionals, providing a seamless experience for anyone looking to improve video quality. Here's why UniFab stands out:

 

  • AI Technology:
    UniFab uses cutting-edge AI algorithms to upscale videos, enhance details, reduce noise, and improve color accuracy. While similar to Topaz, it offers easier control.
  • User Interface:
    UniFab features a simple interface like HitPaw, making it easy to use. For those needing more control, it provides customizable settings for fine-tuning, similar to Topaz.
  • Performance:
    UniFab balances speed and quality, delivering professional-grade results without the excessive processing time of Topaz. It's well-suited for users with mid-range hardware.
  • Faster Speed:
    UniFab boasts a 200% increase in processing speed due to a compiled upgrade.
  • Affordability:
    Offering a competitive price, UniFab provides a wider range of features than HitPaw, delivering excellent value for money.

Key Features of UniFab

 

  • 4K Upscaling: Enhances resolution up to 720p, 1080p, or 4K with sharper clarity.
  • Convert SDR to HDR: Upgrades SDR content to HDR10 or Dolby Vision, improving brightness, color range, and overall quality. Supports DCI-P3 and Rec.2020 color spaces.
  • Smoothing: Utilizes AI for frame interpolation, reducing judder and increasing frame rates up to 120 fps for smoother motion.
  • Denoising: Removes noise from low-light conditions, high ISO, and compression artifacts for clearer playback.
  • Deinterlacing: Converts interlaced to progressive scan, eliminating artifacts and enhancing playback quality.
  • Remove Video Background: Isolates the main subject by removing the video background.

 

Additional features include audio enhancement with DTS 7.1 or EAC3 5.1 surround sound, audio extraction or removal, support for over 1000 video formats, video compression, and comprehensive built-in editing tools for trimming, cropping, volume adjustment, and noise reduction.

UniFab vs. HitPaw vs. Topaz: Processing Effects

 

Animal VideoComparison
unifab upscaler.png

UniFab

Provides significant detail improvement, particularly in fine textures and edges, leading to a clearer image with enhanced color saturation and contrast.

hitpaw 4k.jpg

HitPaw

Enhances clarity but keeps some details slightly blurred, with less precise color reproduction and weaker contrast compared to UniFab.

 

Nightscape videoComparison
HDR10.jpg

UniFab

The HDR processing greatly boosts brightness and contrast, enhancing light and shadow contrasts to give the image a more three-dimensional appearance. Details, particularly in highlights and shadow regions, become more pronounced.

hitpaw color enhancement model.jpg

HitPaw

Improves image contrast, but its brightness enhancement is not as pronounced as UniFab's. The overall image looks more realistic but lacks impact, with less impressive detail rendering, making it suitable for applications where a natural effect is preferred.

 

Film and television videoComparison
unifab-4k-film video.jpg

UniFab

  • Visual Effect: The enhanced image closely resembles true 4K quality, with crisp outlines and no visible artifacts.
  • Image Clarity: UniFab effectively upscales 720p videos to 4K, delivering sharper details, vibrant colors, and a more vivid overall image.
  • Detail Restoration: It accurately restores textures in clothing, facial expressions, and background elements, even in fast-paced scenes, ensuring high clarity.
hitpaw-4k-film video.jpg

HitPaw

  • Visual Effect: The enhanced image appears somewhat "flat," lacking the depth and complexity found in UniFab’s results.
  • Image Clarity: HitPaw’s 4K enhancement improves clarity but falls short on detail, resulting in slightly blurry edges and less preserved detail compared to UniFab.
  • Detail Restoration: Detail restoration is less effective, with some distortion and reduced sharpness relative to UniFab.

 

SDR videoComparison:UniFab vs Topaz
unifab vs topaz.jpg

SDR to HDR Conversion

Compared to Topaz, UniFab offers several advantages:

  • Enhanced Brightness Adjustments: Provides more dynamic and vivid visuals, improving overall clarity and impact.
  • Controlled Color Saturation: Ensures natural tones are preserved while avoiding over-brightness.
  • Superior Contrast: Delivers better contrast ratios, highlighting details in both bright and dark areas.
  • Precise HDR Support: Offers superior video quality with support for native HDR, bringing your content closer to a true HDR experience.

Conclusion

Choosing the right video enhancer depends on your needs. HitPaw Video Enhancer is ideal for beginners and casual users seeking quick, easy improvements. Topaz Video AI suits professionals needing detailed control and high-quality upscaling. For a balanced solution that combines ease of use, advanced AI features, faster speed and superior results, UniFab Video Enhancer is recommended.

FAQs

 

How can I enhance video quality?

To improve video quality, you can upscale the resolution, deinterlace, reduce noise, adjust colors, eliminate blurring and flickering, stabilize the video, interpolate frames, and sharpen details. UniFab All-In-One can handle all these tasks effectively.

 

HitPaw vs. Topaz

Which is better for processing animation video and landscape video?

For processing animation videos, HitPaw is recommended. It effectively enhances clarity and maintains the natural look of animated content, making it suitable for preserving the intended style and color accuracy of animations.

For processing landscape videos, Topaz is recommended. It excels in enhancing detail and clarity, providing superior sharpness and texture, which is particularly beneficial for capturing the intricate details and vast scenery of landscape videos.

 

Is there a software that is suitable for enhancing all types of videos and delivers excellent results?

UniFab is highly recommended for enhancing all types of videos. It offers comprehensive features such as 4K upscaling, SDR to HDR conversion, denoising, smoothing, and detail restoration, making it versatile for various video types. UniFab provides high-quality processing with advanced clarity, color accuracy, and sharpness, ensuring excellent results across different genres and formats.

As an avid enthusiast of software testing, AI, and tech, I bring a fervent zeal for precision and innovation to my editorials. With a love for ping pong and badminton, and a passion for exploring new horizons through travel, I live by the maxim "Done is good." My articles aim to serve as your trusty compass in the fast-evolving tech landscape.