Microsoft is starting to roll out its long-awaited built-in video enhancement feature to its Edge browser.
The company's new Video Super Resolution (VSR) algorithm uses artificial intelligence to boost web videos at resolutions lower than 720p while removing massive artifacts, and the feature is expected to be widely available to users in the "coming weeks." ".
So how is it used? Revealing more details about the feature in a post on its Edge blog (opens in a new tab), Microsoft confirmed that VSR will initially be limited to Windows machines running Nvidia (RTX 20-series and above) or AMD (RX5700 and above). GPU. superior) .
To use AI scaling, you'll also need to be running Microsoft's experimental Edge Canary browser. If you're on a laptop, you'll need to be connected to AC power, while those with hybrid GPUs will need to change your Windows settings to force Edge to run using only your discrete GPU (automatic hybrid GPU support is coming in the next update ).
VSR can scale videos that are at least 192 pixels wide and tall, but unfortunately it won't work with DRM-protected videos that use PlayReady or Widevine technology, such as Netflix streams.
Analysis: AI scaling gives AMD GPUs a welcome boost
While some may dismiss VSR's release as nothing more than a hack to watch old YouTube videos like Charlie Bit My Finger (Opens in a new tab) in UltraHD, for some users this improved AI scaling could be a game changer. of the game.
Although Microsoft admits that VSR is computationally intensive and can slow down less capable machines, the feature offers a great potential visual advantage for those hampered by low-bandwidth internet or constrained by data caps.
It's also a salvo in the GPU bragging war, finally giving AMD video card owners parity with Nvidia users, who may have been bragging about video scaling in Chrome or Edge for some time.