2020 was the perfect storm. AI upscaling tech matured right as we were all stuck at home looking for projects. The "Hot" releases are called that because they push the saturation and contrast just over the edge—making the Deep Space Nine model pop against the Bajoran sun.
Most 2020 projects followed a similar workflow to combat the limitations of the original DVD source: I'm watching 'AI upscaled' Star Trek and it isn't terrible star trek deep space 9 s01 ai upscale 1080p 2020 hot
Standard definition video was often interlaced (30i), which caused "combing" artifacts during fast motion. Most AI upscales, including this one, properly de-interlace the footage to a progressive scan (30p or 24p), making motion look smoother and more film-like. 2020 was the perfect storm
It’s revisionist, yes. But it’s fun . including this one