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VLC Media Player is a free and open-source software that can play most multimedia audio and video files, webcams, DVDs, audio CDs, VCDs, and other streaming protocols. The Video LAN project developed VLC. VLC media player is available for all devices, iOS, iPad, Android, and digital platforms like Microsoft and Apple's App Store.
VLC also has a feature to play video back again. It supports video compression and can apply effects and filters to videos. It can enhance video quality by hardware yuv rgb conversions and adjusting color components. VLC multimedia player has no spyware, ads, or user tracking.
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Although VLC does not have the advanced AI-powered upscaling capabilities found in dedicated video enhancers, it still offers a variety of adjustable settings that can help improve video quality to some extent. With VLC, you can perform basic VLC upscale video adjustments—such as enabling VLC super resolution, applying video filters, correcting colors, and modifying output settings. In the following sections, we’ll detail these settings and show you how to use them to enhance your video playback.
In this section, we'll explore four practical and effective methods for VLC upscale video—techniques that can help you enhance your video playback quality using VLC Media Player’s built-in features. These methods range from adjusting output modules and applying video filters to leveraging NVIDIA’s RTX Super Resolution technology.
NVIDIA introduced Nvidia RTX Video Super Resolution, a cutting-edge technology for video playback. Initially, this feature was limited to the latest Chrome and Edge versions, but it is now supported by popular media players like VLC. Users can now enhance their video playback experience in VLC by upscaling resolutions. For example, VLC can upscale from 720p to 1080p, 1440p, or even 4k.
Remember to activate the VLC super resolution feature, install the newest VLC (3.0.19 or later), and have a PC running NVIDIA or GeForce RTX 30 and 40-series graphics cards.
VLC has advanced video setting features that work excellently for upscaling video quality. You can adjust the output module or change VLC settings for the best video quality. To adjust module settings, you don't need to go through a complex process. Just follow these simple steps in this tutorial and see the magic of VLC upscale features.
If this module doesn't work, you can try the following VLC upscale output module to enhance video quality in VLC.
If your video lacks the best chromatic components, you can enable the hardware yuv rgb conversions to fine-tune the color components and enhance VLC upscale video quality.
Note: These VLC settings for best video quality are undoubtedly helpful for improving overall visual clarity, but improvement will be limited by the quality of the original video.
Effects and filters are a must-mention feature of VLC when it comes to VLC settings for the best video quality. VLC has dozens of filters and video effects you can apply for free. The classic 'Color threshold' effect is the best quality upscaling example.
If you have been troubled with the VLC washed-out color issue, you can change color range to VLC upscale video up to 4k. VLC media player doesn't change the color range. To do that, you need an NVIDIA graphics card. If you have a graphics card, follow the below steps for the best VLC upscaling settings:
Tip: Changing the color range doesn't enhance sharpness; it only improves tone. UniFab AI can effortlessly improve color, clarity, sharpness, and overall quality.
While VLC offers useful settings to enhance video quality, it has several limitations compared to specialized video upscaling software:
For those seeking more powerful, AI-based video enhancement, tools like UniFab AI provide automatic, high-quality upscaling—overcoming these limitations effortlessly.
While VLC’s video enhancement options require manual tweaking and can be time-consuming, UniFab AI provides a streamlined and effective alternative. It enables effortless video quality improvement and delivers a superior viewing experience with just a few clicks.
UniFab RTX RapidHDR AI stands out as a cutting-edge option for those wanting to push video quality beyond what VLC can achieve. Built to fully leverage the AI capabilities and hardware acceleration of NVIDIA RTX GPUs (20 series and newer), this advanced technology performs comprehensive, real-time video enhancements.
Professional Video Enhancer AI
True HDR, Upscaling, and Artifact-Free: All at Once!
30-day free trial with full features—no watermark
UniFab RTX RapidHDR AI
This blend of AI-enhanced super resolution, artifact reduction, and HDR conversion makes UniFab RTX RapidHDR AI a seamless and powerful alternative to VLC's mainly manual enhancements, offering premium video quality with minimal effort.
If you have higher resolution demands or more specific enhancement needs, UniFab Video Upscaler AI is an excellent choice. It allows you to effortlessly upscale low-resolution videos to 4K, 8K, or even 16K with a single click, delivering stunning clarity and detail.
UniFab provides four specialized AI models to suit different needs:
UniFab’s upscaling speed is impressively fast—up to 200% quicker than traditional video enhancers. The intuitive interface ensures that no technical expertise or complicated processes are needed to enjoy high-quality videos.
To give you a clearer picture of how VLC’s upscaling capabilities compare to those of UniFab Video Enhancer AI, here’s a detailed breakdown across key features and performance aspects:
| Feature | VLC Upscale | UniFab Video Upscaler AI | UniFab RTX RapidHDR AI |
| Upscale Quality & Max Output | Basic enhancement, limited to original source quality (up to 4K, no true AI upscaling) | AI-powered upscaling up to 16K, focused on resolution and detail restoration | AI-driven super resolution upscaling combined with HDR conversion and artifact removal |
| AI Enhancement | No true AI, relies on manual filters and basic sharpening | Uses deep learning to intelligently upscale and restore fine details | Advanced AI models for super resolution, artifact reduction, and SDR to HDR conversion |
| Ease of Use | Many manual steps, technical settings required | One-click batch upscaling with a user-friendly interface | Seamless one-step enhancement with GPU-accelerated processing |
| Detail Recovery | Limited subtle improvements through filters | Recovers textures and sharp edges, reduces motion artifacts | Removes visual noise and artifacts, restores color vibrancy and dynamic range |
| Processing Speed | Depends on hardware; no dedicated optimization | Up to 200% faster than traditional enhancers | Highly optimized with CUDA acceleration for real-time or near real-time performance |
| Batch Processing | No native batch upscaling support | Supports batch processing of multiple videos | Primarily designed for single-video high-end enhancement workflows |
| Watermark on Trial | Not applicable (basic features free) | 30-day free trial with no watermark on output videos | 30-day free trial with no watermark on output videos |
| Extra Benefits | Free, open-source media player | Multiple AI modes: Texture Enhanced, Anime Optimized, Speed Optimized, Quality Optimized | Supports HDR10 output, multi-functional video enhancement beyond simple upscaling |
How to Improve Video Quality Easily with UniFab
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Download and launch this upscaling software, open the interface, and go to "All Features", click "Upscaler" or "RTX RapidHDR AI" mode based on your needs, Next, click the 'Add Video' button to upload the high-quality video you want to watch.
Select your preferred resolution and model based on your video type, then configure other options such as output format and codec. Finally, click the 'Start' button to initiate the upscaling process.
VLC offers useful tools to improve video quality, including output settings, filters, and NVIDIA RTX Super Resolution. While these features enhance playback, they have limitations without AI-driven upscaling. For stronger, automatic video enhancement, AI tools like UniFab provide better results with less effort. Choose the method that best fits your needs to enjoy clearer, sharper videos.
VLC RTX refers to the integration of NVIDIA RTX Video Super Resolution technology within the VLC Media Player. It leverages the AI-driven upscaling capabilities of NVIDIA RTX GPUs to enhance video quality by increasing resolution and restoring fine details during playback, providing clearer and sharper visuals without requiring separate upscaling software.
Yes, NVIDIA's RTX Video Super Resolution technology works with VLC starting from version 3.0.19, provided you have a compatible NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 or 40 series GPU. Enabling this feature via the NVIDIA Control Panel allows VLC to perform AI-powered real-time upscaling to improve video clarity and resolution during playback.
Currently, NVIDIA RTX technologies like RTX Video Super Resolution primarily focus on AI-driven upscaling and do not directly enable HDR (High Dynamic Range) processing within VLC. For users who want to enhance HDR quality alongside upscaling, UniFab RTX RapidHDR AI offers a powerful solution. It combines AI-based super resolution with advanced SDR to HDR conversion, delivering richer colors, deeper shadows, and a wider dynamic range—features that go beyond VLC’s capabilities and NVIDIA’s RTX upscaling alone.
To force VLC to use your NVIDIA GPU on a system with multiple GPUs (e.g., integrated Intel GPU plus NVIDIA GPU), follow these steps:
This forces VLC to run using the NVIDIA GPU for better video processing performance and to enable features like RTX Super Resolution.
Yes, VLC allows you to upscale a video to 4k. You can apply video filters, change output modules and color range, and deinterlace a video to increase clarity and sharpness.
Yes, VLC is a free media player that offers basic video enhancement through its adjustable video settings. For more powerful free options, check out the guide on the free video upscaler.