Keep the master
Archive the source and every intermediate. Upscalers and interpolators invent detail and frames; check faces, text and logos frame by frame before delivery.
For pro video creators · 4K and 8K upscaling · ChatGPT
How do I upscale AI video to 4K in ChatGPT?
4K with Topaz Starlight, 6K and 8K with ByteDance, from the chat.
In ChatGPT, add the Creative Claw plugin, attach or link the clip and ask for 4K with the model you want. Topaz Starlight Precise 2.6 took our 5-second 1080p clip to 3840 × 2160 in about 21 minutes for 260 credits, with real leaf and roof detail where a plain resize was soft. Starlight Fast 2 cost 140 credits for the same clip, and the ByteDance upscaler went to 4K at 30 fps for 30. ByteDance changes resolution and frame rate in one pass, from 24 up to 120 fps and up to 8K: it took the Starlight 4K clip to 7680 × 4320 for 116 credits.
Start with 100 free credits. No card required.
By Itay Dressler, founder of Creative Claw · LinkedIn · Updated
Key takeaways
- Four Topaz Starlight models: Precise 2.6, HQ, Mini and Fast 2, 1 to 4x, up to 4K.
- Precise 2.6: 260 credits and about 21 minutes for 5 seconds of 1080p to 4K.
- Past 4K: ByteDance goes to 6K or 8K at 24 to 120 fps; our Starlight 4K clip to 8K was 116 credits.
- Each job is quoted from the clip’s length, size and frame rate before it runs.
- Generative detail is invented: check faces, text and logos.
Bring
A video clip (your render or an AI shot)
Create
The same clip at up to 4K (Topaz) or 8K (ByteDance)
Before and after
Same frame, 4K and 8K
The first three pairs show a crop of the 1080p frame enlarged 2x next to the same crop from each 4K output, pixel for pixel. The last shows the Starlight 4K clip taken to 8K: ByteDance keeps the detail at twice the pixels and adds little of its own.
Original
AI upscale Original
AI upscale Original
AI upscale 
Original
8K upscale Finished example
A 1080p clip, upscaled to 4K with Topaz Starlight Precise 2.6.
We took a 5-second 1920 × 1080 test clip at 24 fps, a misty river with a temple on the hill, and asked for 2x with Starlight Precise 2.6. It came back at 3840 × 2160, 24 fps, 120 frames. Then we ran the same clip through Starlight Fast 2 and the ByteDance upscaler to compare price and detail.
Voiceover script
“Upscale this clip to 4K with Topaz Starlight Precise 2.6, then with Starlight Fast 2 and the ByteDance upscaler at 4K, 30 fps.”
| Step | Tool | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 5 s 1080p → 4K | Topaz Starlight Precise 2.6 | 260 |
| Same clip | Topaz Starlight Fast 2 | 140 |
| Same clip at 30 fps | ByteDance upscaler | 30 |
| The Starlight 4K clip to 8K at 30 fps | ByteDance upscaler | 116 |
| Total for the finished example | 546 ($5.46) | |
The crops are 1:1 pixels from the same frame of each output. The source is a test clip, not one of the Tidelight shots.
-
1080p source, enlarged -
Starlight Precise 2.6 · 260 credits -
Starlight Fast 2 · 140 credits -
ByteDance 4K · 30 credits
The workflow
How do I upscale a clip to 4K in ChatGPT?
-
Add Creative Claw and attach the clip
Install Creative Claw from ChatGPT’s plugin directory and sign in. New accounts get 100 free credits, no card. Attach the clip or paste a link to it.
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Pick the upscaler
Name it: Starlight Precise 2.6 for hero shots, Fast 2 for batches, ByteDance for 30–120 fps, 6K or 8K.
-
Approve the quote
The price is quoted from the clip before anything runs; send many clips in the same message to run them together.
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Check and download
Compare the result with the source at 100%, then download the MP4 from its link.
Pricing
How much does it cost?
Creative Claw is pay as you go: $10 buys 1,000 credits, new accounts get 100 free credits, and there is no subscription. Typical costs for this workflow:
| What you generate | Credits | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 5 s 1080p → 4K, Topaz Starlight Precise 2.6 | 260 | $2.60 |
| 5 s 1080p → 4K, Topaz Starlight Fast 2 | 140 | $1.40 |
| 5 s 1080p → 4K at 30 fps, ByteDance | 30 | $0.30 |
| 5 s 4K → 8K at 30 fps, ByteDance | 116 | $1.16 |
| Image upscale (AuraSR) | 8 | $0.08 |
Prices charged or quoted by Creative Claw on October 29, 2026. See all model prices, and ask for an estimate in ChatGPT before you generate.
Alternatives
How does upscaling in ChatGPT with Creative Claw compare?
The tools below are the ones AI assistants most often recommend for this job. We checked each vendor’s own pages on October 29, 2026. “None found” means we could not find an official app in the ChatGPT directory or on the vendor’s site. Creative Claw publishes this page.
| Tool | What it does | In ChatGPT | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creative Claw | Topaz Starlight Precise 2.6, HQ, Mini, Fast 2 up to 4K; ByteDance up to 8K at 24–120 fps | App in ChatGPT’s directory | No plan; 5 s 1080p → 4K: 260 credits (Precise 2.6), 140 (Fast 2), 30 (ByteDance) |
| Topaz Video (desktop) | Starlight Precise locally (12 GB+ VRAM, 16 GB on Mac), other Starlight models in Topaz’s cloud | Topaz’s MCP server handles images only | $299/yr or $59/mo, 25 cloud credits a month |
| Topaz for Web | Starlight Precise 2.6 and Fast 2 up to 4K in the browser | Topaz’s MCP server handles images only | From $199/yr with 200 video credits a month |
| Runway | 4K upscaling; Pro and Max include unlimited Topaz upscaling | Runway MCP, listed on Pro and Max | Pro $35/mo ($28 billed yearly) |
| DaVinci Resolve Studio | Super Scale to 4K and 8K from HD, on your GPU | n/a | $295 one time |
Sources: Topaz Video plans and models · Topaz for Web video workflows · Topaz MCP server (images only) · Runway pricing · DaVinci Resolve Studio · Topaz Starlight models (Topaz developer docs) · ByteDance video upscaler on fal. Prices are in USD before tax and change often.
Use cases
Which upscaler for which shot?
| Shot | Model | Why | Scale and output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hero shot, AI-generated | Starlight Precise 2.6 | Highest quality; adds realism to AI video | 1–4x, up to 4K |
| High-resolution source | Starlight HQ | Tuned for sources that are already sharp | 1–4x, up to 4K |
| Old or low-quality footage | Starlight Mini | Restores archival material | 1–4x, up to 4K |
| Drafts and long batches | Starlight Fast 2 | Fastest Topaz model, about half the price | 1–4x, up to 4K |
| 30–120 fps, 6K, 8K, 10-bit | ByteDance upscaler | Resolution and frame rate in one cheap pass; pro tier for 10/12-bit | 1080p to 8K |
| 8K with the most detail | Starlight Precise 2.6, then ByteDance | Topaz adds the detail up to 4K, ByteDance takes it to 8K | 1080p → 4K → 8K |
Before you render
What should I check before rendering?
Compare at 100%
Judge upscales on a 1:1 crop, not a scaled preview: look at faces, hands, text, logos and fine repeating patterns.
Only footage you have rights to
Upscale, retime or cut out footage you shot, generated or licensed. Restoring someone else’s film does not make it yours.
Tell the client what is AI
Say which shots are generated or AI-finished. TikTok and Meta ask creators to label realistic AI video when it is posted.
Check current pricing, read short answers in the help center, inspect the tool reference, or browse published media examples. Examples illustrate creative approaches; they are not proof that this exact starter prompt was run.
Practical answers
Frequently asked questions
Upscaling in ChatGPT
How do I upscale a video to 4K in ChatGPT?
Add Creative Claw, attach or link the clip and ask for 4K with the model you want, for example “upscale this to 4K with Topaz Starlight Precise 2.6”. The price is quoted from the clip’s length, size and frame rate before it runs.
Which Topaz Starlight models are there?
Four: Precise 2.6 (highest quality, adds realism to AI-generated video, slowest), HQ (for high-resolution sources), Mini (for archival or low-quality footage) and Fast 2 (fastest, about half the price). All scale 1 to 4x, up to 4K.
How long does a Topaz upscale take?
Minutes, sometimes much longer. Our 5-second 1080p clip took about 21 minutes with Precise 2.6; Fast 2 runs have taken from under 2 to about 13 minutes. Batch the clips and keep working; each one reports back when it finishes.
Can I go above 4K?
Yes, with the ByteDance upscaler: 1080p, 2K, 4K, 6K or 8K, at 24 to 120 fps, with a preset for AI-generated video. Topaz Starlight stops at 4K, so for the most detail run Starlight to 4K first, then ByteDance to 8K: our 5-second clip went from 3840 × 2160 to 7680 × 4320 for 116 credits. Its pro tier adds 10- and 12-bit output at about 10 times the price. Files up to 250 MB.
Can I upscale and change the frame rate in one job?
Yes. Topaz Starlight takes a target frame rate and adds Topaz Apollo interpolation (at a higher price); the ByteDance upscaler outputs 30 fps by default and up to 120.
Does upscaling add real detail?
Generative upscalers add plausible detail: on our river test Precise 2.6 and Fast 2 drew separate leaves and roof tiles where a plain resize was soft, while ByteDance stayed close to the source. That detail is invented, so check faces, text and logos frame by frame.
What format do I get back?
An MP4 link. Topaz returns H.265 (HEVC), which plays in Safari and most players and imports into Resolve and Premiere; ask for an H.264 copy if a tool needs one.
Can I upscale images too?
Yes, with the image upscalers (AuraSR, Clarity, Recraft Crisp): style frames and plates to print or wall resolution, from 8 credits.
Cost
How much does a 4K upscale cost?
For 5 seconds of 1080p: Starlight Precise 2.6 260 credits, Fast 2 140, ByteDance 4K at 30 fps 30. Topaz bills per frame, so double the length roughly doubles the price.
Clients, rights and delivery
Who owns what I make?
You do, under Creative Claw’s terms, for media you generate or process with your own inputs. Check each provider’s terms for limits on outputs, and only process footage you have rights to.
Do I have to tell clients a shot is AI?
Many contracts now ask; say which shots are generated or AI-finished. TikTok and Meta ask creators to label realistic AI video when it is posted.
Can I put AI-made client quotes in my showreel?
No. The FTC rule in force since October 21, 2024 bans fake reviews and testimonials, including AI-generated ones. Quote real clients with their permission.
Can I upscale or retime footage I do not own?
Not for delivery. Upscaling or retiming someone else’s film does not change who owns it; license it or shoot your own.
Setup and pricing
How do I add Creative Claw to ChatGPT?
Open chatgpt.com/plugins/creativeclaw and select Install plugin, or search for Creative Claw in ChatGPT’s plugin directory, then sign in. New accounts get 100 free credits, no card.
Do I need a subscription?
No. Creative Claw is pay as you go: $10 buys 1,000 credits that never expire, and new accounts get 100 free credits. Each upscale, retime or cutout is quoted from your clip’s length and size before it runs.
Can I use my own renders and plates?
Yes. Attach a file in ChatGPT, or paste a link to it; the tools work on any video you have rights to, not only clips made in Creative Claw.
Do I need a GPU or a local install?
No. Every job runs in the cloud: Topaz, ByteDance, Bria and VEED run on hosted GPUs, and the files come back as links you download. Your machine stays free for the comp.
Start creating
Install Creative Claw in ChatGPT.
Connect once, get 100 free credits with no card required, and use the starter prompt above for your first project.
