Is Topaz Video Worth It? Should You Upgrade from Topaz Video AI?

Recently, Topaz has released Topaz Video 1.0.1 as the company’s latest video enhancement software, together with the new Topaz Studio suite. With its release, many users are wondering: how does Topaz Video compare to Topaz Video AI, what are its unique features, and is it worth investing in? In this article, we will explore everything you need to know about Topaz Video 1.0.1, including its price, features, pros, cons, and a detailed comparison with Topaz Video AI. If you also have such questions, check this post.

What is Topaz Video (New Studio Release)?

Topaz Video 1.0.1 is an AI-powered video enhancement software released by Topaz Labs, the successor to Topaz Video Enhance AI. It is designed to help users to upscale low-resolution footage, remove noise, sharpen blurry details, and stabilize shaky clips.by using advanced machine learning models. Instead of a standalone program, it's now part of the new Topaz Studio suite, a collection of all Topaz apps available under a subscription model. The new Topaz Video introduces several new AI models and features designed to improve video quality while simplify the video enhancement workflow.

Price

Unlike the one-time purchase model with optional paid upgrades of Topaz Video AI, Topaz Video 1.0.1 is available exclusively through a subscription.

• The subscription for Topaz Video is $33/mo, which will in fact cost you $396 during the annual commitment period, during which you can’t cancel the subscription.
• No Perpetual License: Topaz Labs has discontinued its one-time purchase option for new software. Existing customers with a perpetual license for a previous version of Topaz Video AI will still get updates for that specific version but will not have access to new models introduced in the 1.0.1 update unless they subscribe.

Key features of Topaz Video 1.0.1

1. New and updated AI models:

• Nyx XL: A new, complex denoising model for all platforms that preserves detail in high-resolution, high-quality media.
• Starlight Sharp: A new, demanding diffusion-based model for maximum crispness, designed for low-resolution footage and available to Windows users with NVIDIA GPUs for local rendering.

2. Enhanced user interface:

Right Panel" was refreshed for better accessibility and intuitive grouping of enhancement options. Presets are easier to find, and parameter controls are simplified.

3. Live frame preview

 A new feature that allows users to see instant feedback on individual frames as they adjust model settings.

4. General enhancement preset

 A new, tunable preset with a single slider that adjusts multiple model settings at once to address sharpness, compression, and detail.

5. Cloud and local rendering

The application offers both local processing for high-end systems and cloud rendering for users with less powerful machines. Cloud rendering capabilities are unlimited for subscribers.

6. Future capabilities

The release notes mention future plans to support more professional plugins (e.g., BlackMagic Fusion, Nuke, Premiere Pro) and to unlock higher color space and resolution limits. 

New Starlight Sharp Model

Topaz Video’s newly introduced Starlight Sharp model is a significant step forward in video restoration, especially for handling low-resolution and detail-challenged footage. Compared to earlier iterations, Starlight Sharp delivers noticeably sharper, more detailed results and excels at reconstructing smaller faces and facial features—an area where many AI models often struggle.

• Superior Low-Resolution Processing: Starlight Sharp excels at handling low-quality content, producing impressive results on footage that other models struggle with.
• Enhanced Facial Details: One of its standout features is the improved handling of smaller faces and facial details, which provides enhanced clarity—a critical factor for many types of video.
• Dual Deployment Options: The model can be run on both local and cloud platforms, giving you maximum flexibility. If your machine isn't powerful enough, you can offload the heavy lifting to the cloud.
• Multi-GPU Support: For high-end users, the model can leverage multiple NVIDIA GPUs in parallel to significantly speed up processing.
• Expanded Platform Support: Starlight models now run on Mac and Windows systems with AMD GPUs, in addition to the existing Windows NVIDIA support. This is a big step toward making this powerful technology more widely available, though these versions are currently in beta.
• Native 1080p & 4K Output: Starlight Sharp can generate native 1080p output out of the box, and it can also create scaled 4K output via a special two-pass process that uses a Nyx variant.

While Starlight Sharp delivers revolutionary results, it is a highly complex and resource-intensive model. This is a crucial point for anyone considering using it.

• Resource-Heavy: The model is very demanding on hardware, and local rendering can take hours to complete depending on your system and the source media.
• High VRAM & RAM Requirements: To run the model effectively, you need a powerful machine: NVIDIA: Requires 16GB of VRAM, AMD: Requires 20GB of VRAM, Mac: Recommends 36GB of RAM。 A minimum of 12GB of system RAM is required for all platforms.
• Current Limitations: Local rendering is currently only available for Windows users with NVIDIA GPUs. Also, the model cannot be combined with other filters, and Topaz recommends de-interlacing any interlaced footage before use.

New Nyx XL Model

The Nyx XL model is a new, more powerful variant within Topaz’s Nyx family, focused primarily on denoising and detail sharpening. It’s aimed at users working with high-quality source footage who want to clean up noise, preserve fine detail, and generally make the picture more polished — especially under challenging lighting or texture-rich scenes.

• Effective Denoising + Sharpening: Nyx XL learns over frames to separate noise from detail, delivering clean, sharp output even in conditions where footage is noisy (low light, high ISO, etc.). Regular Nyx already had good denoising; XL takes that to a higher level.
• Handles a Wide Variety of Footage: Because it’s optimized for different lighting conditions and texture types, Nyx XL can work well across many content types — from darker, grainy footage to more detailed shots with fine features.
• Cross-Platform Availability: It is supported on both Windows and Mac, which is important for many users. This helps broaden its applicability beyond NVIDIA/Windows only workflows.
• Great for Chaining: One of its strong use cases is chaining: using another enhancement model first (for resolution upscaling, color correction, etc.), then applying Nyx XL to clean up the output. Using Nyx XL as a second stage in an enhancement chain (e.g. after Proteus) appears to produce excellent results.
• Maintains Original Resolution (Unless Upscaled Separately): Though not inherently an upscaler, Nyx XL will preserve the resolution of input footage. You can render out higher resolution, but the visible quality depends heavily on the input. This means it doesn’t artificially add detail beyond what’s in the source, reducing false edges or over-sharpness.

Topaz Video 1.0.1's Nyx XL has powerful capabilities, but with that power come trade-offs. Here are the main limitations:

• Slow Rendering: Because the model is complex, rendering is heavier and takes significantly more time, especially for high resolution or longer videos. Previews may take a while too.
• High Resource Requirements: To run Topaz Video 1.0.1's Nyx XL smoothly, you need a strong GPU and enough VRAM.
• Not a Upscaler: The Nyx XL model in Topaz Video primarily focuses on denoising and sharpening. If you feed low-resolution input and expect Nyx XL to upscale it as well (without switching to another model), you’ll be disappointed. Quality depends heavily on what's present in the source footage.
• Compatibility & Beta Issues: On certain platforms (Mac, AMD GPUs) the model is still in beta, meaning output quality and performance may vary. Also, very small or blurry text and extremely degraded frames may still yield imperfect results.

Pros and Cons

The new features and AI models in Topaz Studio video enhancer offer impressive capabilities, but the shift to a subscription model and demanding hardware requirements may not be for everyone. Let's break down the pros and cons to help you decide if it's the right choice for your workflow.

Pros:

• Powerful AI: The new AI models in Topaz Video deliver incredible results, especially in denoising and sharpening, making low-quality footage usable.
• Flexible Workflow: The addition of cloud rendering is a game-changer for users with less powerful computers.
• Simplified Interface: The new UI makes it easier for new users to get started and for pros to fine-tune their results.
• Constant Updates: Topaz Video will receive all the new models and features.

Cons:

• Subscription Model: The shift away from a one-time purchase to a yearly subscription may be a deal-breaker for some users.
• Pricing: For users who only need video enhancement, the new pricing model may be less cost-effective than the previous perpetual license.
• High Demands: While cloud rendering helps, local processing with the more advanced models can still be very demanding on your GPU.
• Slow Rendering: On older PCs – AI models take time, especially on mid-range hardware.

Topaz Video VS Topaz Video AI

Many users are asking: what’s the real difference between Topaz Video 1.0.1 and Topaz Video AI? The main difference is that Topaz Video 1.0.1 is the new, subscription-based version of the previous Topaz Video AI. It's not a new product, but an updated version available under a new licensing model.

• Subscription Model: Topaz Video AI was a one-time purchase. Topaz Video 1.0.1 is a yearly subscription to the full Topaz Studio suite.
• New Features: Topaz Video 1.0.1 includes all the features of Topaz Video AI, but with the addition of new AI models and a redesigned user interface.
• Licensing: Perpetual license owners of older versions of Topaz Video AI will not receive these new updates and will have to subscribe to Topaz Studio to get the latest features.

Here’s a breakdown (check detailecd Topaz Video AI features):

In short, Topaz Video 1.0.1 is essentially a rebranded version of Topaz Video AI. The core AI models are similar, but the user experience and workflow are significantly improved.

Summary for users:

• If you are a legacy owner: You can keep using your perpetual license of Topaz Video AI. However, you will need to subscribe to Topaz Studio to access the new features and AI models available in Topaz Video 1.0.1.
• If you are a new user: Your only option to get Topaz Video is to purchase a subscription to the Topaz Studio suite. You will get the newest version of the app, Topaz Video 1.0.1, along with other products. 

An Equally Powerful Alternative to Topaz Video without Costing You $396

If you're looking for a professional-grade video enhancement tool without the high cost of a yearly subscription, then Aiarty Video Enhancer is a top-tier alternative to Topaz Video. It's designed to deliver the same stunning, AI-powered results through a one-time purchase, giving you complete control over your budget and your content.

Aiarty can take low-resolution videos to crisp HD, 4K, remove distracting noise and grain, restore blurry or soft footage, create smooth, fluid slow-motion video with AI, and correct colors. All its AI models are ptimized GPU utilization (up to 95%) deliver significantly faster processing times than Topaz Video. Meanwhile, with its one-time purchase model, you can access powerful features without the recurring cost, making it a smarter and more user-friendly investment for your creative projects.

Conclusion

In summary, if you're looking to enhance your video production quality and create captivating visuals, Topaz Video AI is a worthwhile investment. Its combination of powerful features, ease of use, and continuous updates ensures that you can stay ahead in the competitive world of video content creation. We encourage you to try the free trial and experience the transformative capabilities of Topaz Video AI for yourself!