Upscaling a video raises resolution of the same clip
upscale_video does not rewrite the shot, add seconds, or invent a new take. A regenerate is a different job.
Upscaling a video raises resolution of the same clip. Same clip, higher resolution. upscale_video takes a hosted video and an upscaling model and returns a sharper, larger version of that file. It does not restage the scene, extend the ending, or pick a better take. Using an upscale as a second generate — "make it cinematic, and 4K" — wastes credits on a quality pass that cannot invent a shot the original never contained.
Upscale a video is the named capability. Priced per upscaling model, shown before you confirm. The sibling stills job is upscale an image. Do not send a clip to the image row, and do not send a PNG to this one.
What this job actually is
The cut is the cut. You like the performance, the crop, the length. The file is soft, or too small for the delivery spec. You give the agent the video. It picks an upscaling model (or uses the one you name). You get the same pictures, more pixels.
That sentence is the whole compliment. Detail that was never in the source will not appear as true detail. An upscaler can sharpen; it cannot add a second camera, a line of dialogue, or three extra seconds of motion.
What wastes credits
A prompt rewrite wearing an upscale hat. "Upscale this and make the lighting warmer" is edit or redo a previous generation or a new generate. The upscale tool's params are model and video_url. There is no restyle field. Extra adjectives do not steer a model that is not listening for them; they steer you into the wrong capability.
Extending a clip because it feels small. Small in time is extend a video. Small in pixels is this job. Paying for an upscale on a four-second file you meant to continue leaves you with a sharper four seconds.
Upscaling a take you already know you will replace. If the shot is wrong, regenerate. Upscaling a miss is a quality tax on a file headed for the trash. Lock the take, then buy resolution.
Image upscale on a grabbed frame, then image-to-video. That is two jobs that still will not restore a video's motion. If the deliverable is a video, upscale the video.
The test
Is the file the one you would ship if it were already the right resolution?
If yes, this is the job. Name the model if you care which upscaler. Confirm the price.
If the file is the wrong take, redo. If it is too short, extend. If it is a still, use the image upscaler. This is one named agent job. Using it for a different job wastes credits.
FAQ
Will upscaling fix a bad composition?
No. It raises resolution of whatever is already in the frame, including the bad crop. Fix the take, then upscale the keeper.
Is this the same as generating the clip again at a higher tier?
No. A new generate at a 4K-capable model is a new sample. An upscale is a pass on the file you have. If you wanted a different model family, generate. If you wanted this performance larger, upscale.
Can I upscale and caption in the same call?
Not as this job. Captioning is a different burn. Upscale the picture-locked cut, then caption — or assemble captions in an editor pass on the upscaled file. Combining jobs in one sentence is how the agent has to pick, and the pick may not be the upscale.
Why not always generate at the maximum resolution?
Because not every take deserves that row. Generate cheap, pick a keeper, upscale the keeper. That sequence is the reason this job exists as a named capability instead of a checkbox on every generate.