Just as Nvidia’s much more demanding Super Resolution technology eventually made it to the general public, Microsoft unveiled its intentions for video super resolution, or VSR.Additionally, there have been leaks of Intel’s version. Low-resolution movies are given a sharper, higher-resolution appearance by VSR using machine learning to enhance their appearance. It is comparable to FSR and DLSS, methods used frequently in gaming to lighten the burden on your computer but designed especially for video.According to Microsoft, its version operates “without sacrificing bandwidth” on sites like YouTube and others that broadcast video.
A demo is currently available on Edge Canary, an experimental version of the browser, to a limited number of Windows Insiders. But you’ll have to have a somewhat recent GPU to get it to work: you’ll need an Nvidia RTX 20/30/40 series or AMD Ryzen RX 5700-RX 7800 series GPU in your setup. The feature kicks in when you start playback on a 720p or lower video. The media can’t be DRM’d either, so it’s likely not something you can use through the major streaming services. Microsoft suggests using the open-source Big Buck Bunny video as a test clip (which I’ve used before to benchmark devices). When VSR works in the background, you’ll see a tiny “HD” button pop up in Edge’s address bar.
Laptop users with hybrid GPUs can force Edge Canary to use the discrete GPU through the Windows settings and try the feature that way, though Microsoft is also still working on the automatic capabilities for those setups. If you plan to experiment, laptops should remain charged and plugged in, as VSR is a heavy load on the GPU. Microsoft says the feature “can be computationally intensive.”
The rest of the blog explains how the VSR feature works in the backend. Microsoft built it using the open-source Open Neural Network Exchange (ONNX) Runtime and its homegrown DirectML. The company says it has plans to bring the technology to older graphics cards in the future.
Ideally, this feature would help me in my quest to re-watch VCR rips of the television shows I enjoyed growing up. It should also help improve the quality of the stream where bandwidth may present an issue. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the demonstration to work on my Dell XPS 15 with Nvidia GeForce 3050 Ti laptop GPU. I just downloaded the Edge’s Canary update, so it’s possible I need to set aside some time or reboot before it kicks in.
