How to Upscale an AI Video to 4K or 1080p, and When It Will Not Reach 4K

To upscale an AI video in ReelMint, open the video in your Library or on its studio result card, press Upscale, pick a factor (1x, 2x or 4x) and confirm the price; the Topaz upscaler rebuilds the video at a higher resolution and the sharper version replaces the original in your Library. It costs 10 credits per second of video at 1x or 2x and 18 credits per second at 4x, so a 10-second clip is 100 credits at 2x.

We build ReelMint, an AI studio that generates videos, images and music and posts them to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. The honest part of this post is the arithmetic: whether you end up at 4K depends on what you start from, because the output is capped at 4K.

Upscale a video, step by step

1. Find the video. In your Library, or on its card in the Mint Studio results.
2. Press Upscale. A panel opens with the video, its length and the price of every factor, quoted by the server that will charge it. The cheapest option is preselected, so the expensive one is a deliberate choice.
3. Pick the factor. 2x doubles the width and height; 4x quadruples them; 1x keeps the size and runs a restoration pass for cleaner detail and edges.
4. Confirm. The panel tells you if your balance covers it. The upscale usually takes a few minutes for a short clip.
5. Get the new file. The upscaled version is added to your Library and replaces the original. The original is kept until the new video exists, and you are charged only if it succeeds.

The 4K arithmetic

The output is capped at 4K (3840 × 2160 pixels in total), because every platform ReelMint publishes to tops out at 4K and a bigger file costs more, takes longer and buys you nothing. If the factor you pick would go past that, it is lowered to the largest one that fits. For common landscape sources:

• 1080p at 2x becomes 3840 × 2160: true 4K. 4x would be 8K, so it is lowered to 2x.
• 720p at 2x becomes 2560 × 1440. 4x would be past 4K, so it is lowered to 2x. A 720p clip tops out at 1440p, not 4K.
• 480p at 4x becomes about 3416 × 1920, above 1080p. At 2x it is about 1708 × 960, just under 1080p.

Vertical videos work the same with the numbers turned on their side. So if 4K is the goal, generate at 1080p and upscale 2x. If 1080p is the goal and your model only renders 480p, use 4x.

What it costs

The price follows the length of the input video, not the output:

• 1x or 2x: 10 credits per second
• 4x: 18 credits per second

Examples: a 10-second clip is 100 credits at 2x or 180 at 4x; a 30-second reel is 300 at 2x. On the Lite plan's 800 credits that is eight 10-second upscales at 2x. The credits guide puts these numbers next to clip prices, and the models page lists the per-second rates.

Upscale on the way out: before sharing and in bots

You do not have to upscale as a separate step. In the Share dialog, tick Upscale before sharing (2x is the default when you tick it): every destination waits for the upscale and then publishes the upscaled version, which also replaces the video in your Library. See publishing to every platform and scheduling posts.

In Bot Studio, the Upscale before posting tile does the same on every firing. It is a second paid render on top of every generation, and it is listed as its own line on the bot's quote, so the monthly figure includes it. See bots that post on a schedule.

Limits

• 50 MB input. A larger video is refused with a message telling you its size; shorten it first.
• Videos only, and only ready ones. A video still processing, or one whose media was cleaned up, cannot be upscaled.
• The original is replaced. If you want both, download the original first.
• An upscaler sharpens; it does not re-film. It rebuilds detail and edges at a higher resolution. It will not fix a wrong face, a warped hand or a bad motion. Regenerate for that.

If the upscaling service is unavailable when your job runs, you may receive a sharpened resize to the requested size instead. Its card says so plainly, it is not charged, and you can run Upscale again later for the AI pass.

Can I upscale an image instead of a video?

Yes. In Image to Image, the Topaz Image Upscaler is 13 credits up to 2K, 25 at 4K and 50 at 8K output, and Recraft Crisp Upscale is 1 credit an image.

Does upscaling a multi-scene film work?

Yes. A merged film is a Library video like any other, so it can be upscaled as long as the file is under 50 MB. Mint Studio can also add an upscale pass to a film as part of its quote.

Am I charged if the upscale fails?

No. You are only charged if the upscaled video is produced, and the original stays in your Library until then.

Is 4x always better than 2x?

No. 4x costs 18 credits a second against 10, and on a 720p or 1080p source it is lowered to 2x anyway to stay within 4K. Use 4x only on small sources such as 480p.