Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Microsoft Edge opens AI-upscaled video to AMD graphics cards

Jacob Roach
By

Microsoft is rolling out a new super resolution for its Edge browser, but unlike Nvidia’s recently announced RTX Video Super Resolution, Microsoft’s take works with AMD graphics cards.

Edge is taking the same name. Video Super Resolution (VSR) leverages AI to upscale videos directly in your browser. Microsoft’s announcement reads, “It accomplishes this by removing blocky compression artifacts and upscaling video resolution so you can enjoy crisp and clear videos on YouTube and other streaming platforms that play video content without sacrificing bandwidth.”

The Microsoft Edge browser is open on a Surface Book 2 in tablet mode.

Nvidia’s take is supported in Chrome and Edge, but it only works with RTX graphics cards. Microsoft’s version works with AMD and Nvidia GPUs, which opens up the feature to a much larger user base. There are still some specific requirements to get VSR working, though.

Related

For starters, you need an Nvidia RTX graphics card, or an AMD RX 5700 or newer. Currently, VSR only works on discrete graphics cards, but Microsoft says it is working on a hybrid GPU solution for laptops that will automatically toggle between integrated and discrete graphics when using Edge. If you have a laptop now, make sure to force Edge to run on your discrete GPU in Windows settings to try out VSR.

You don’t need a specific processor, but Microsoft has requirements for the video you’re attempting to upscale. It has to be less than 720p resolution, but have a greater height and width than 192 pixels. In addition, Microsoft says the processing won’t work on video protected by Digital Right Management (DRM). For example, a movie you bought on YouTube likely won’t work. Finally, your device must be connected to AC power due to the computation power required to process video.

Microsoft is rolling out VSR now. It’s available to about half of the Edge users in the Canary channel, which is Microsoft’s experimental Edge platform that’s updated with new features daily (you can install the Canary version directly from Microsoft). Features rolled out to Canary generally take several months before they make it to the stable build of Edge.

As long as you’re on the Canary channel, you can force the feature on by entering edge://flags/#edge-video-super-resolution in your browser’s address bar. On the page that loads, toggle the feature to Enabled instead of Default. 

Microsoft has been focusing much more attention on Edge as of late. The new VSR feature comes on the heels of Microsoft integrating its AI-powered Bing Chat into the Edge browser, as well as Windows 11 itself. The company is making further strides in AI, as well, following a multibillion investment in OpenAI, the group behind the wildly popular ChatGPT. Microsoft is holding a special event on March 16, where it’s expected to detail how it’s leveraging AI in apps like PowerPoint and Word.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Apple’s security trumps Microsoft and Twitter’s, say feds
Alex Blake
By Alex Blake
February 28, 2023
Apple's Craig Federighi speaking about macOS security at WWDC 2022.

Apple has long held a reputation for rock-solid security, and now the U.S. government seemingly agrees after praising the company for its security procedures. At the same time, the feds have suggested Microsoft and Twitter need to pull their socks up and make their products much more secure for their users, according to CNBC.

In a speech given at Carnegie Mellon University, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly pointed to Apple as a company that took security and accountability seriously, and suggested other companies should take note.

Read more
LastPass reveals how it got hacked — and it’s not good news
Alex Blake
By Alex Blake
February 28, 2023
A depiction of a hacker breaking into a system via the use of code.

Last year was a particularly bad one for password manager LastPass, as a series of hacking incidents revealed some serious weaknesses in its supposedly rock-solid security. Now, we know exactly how those attacks went down -- and the facts are pretty breathtaking.

It all began in August 2022, when LastPass revealed that a threat actor had stolen the app’s source code. In a second, subsequent attack, the hacker combined this data with information found in a separate data breach, then exploited a weakness in a remote-access app used by LastPass employees. That allowed them to install a keylogger onto the computer of a senior engineer at the company.

Read more
A beginner’s guide to Tor: How to navigate the underground internet
Will Nicol
Anita George
By Will Nicol and Anita George
February 27, 2023
A person using a laptop at a desk.

While the internet has dramatically expanded the ability to share knowledge, it has also made issues of privacy more complicated. Many people are justifiably worried about their personal information being stolen or viewed, including bank records, credit card info, and browser or login history.

If you're looking for more privacy while browsing, Tor is a good way to do that, as it is software that allows users to browse the web anonymously. It should be noted that Tor can be used to access illegal content on the dark web, and Digital Trends does not condone or encourage this behavior.
Why does Tor exist?
In this climate of data gathering and privacy concerns, the Tor browser has become the subject of discussion and notoriety. Like many underground phenomena on the internet, it is poorly understood and shrouded in the sort of technological mysticism that people often ascribe to things like hacking or Bitcoin.

Read more