The UHD Upscaling feature built into modern televisions, is designed to enlarge lower-resolution video so that it fills the entire 4K screen. This allows content originally produced in formats such as Full HD (1080p) to be displayed across the whole panel, rather than appearing as a smaller image surrounded by empty space. Without upscaling, such content would occupy only part of the screen, which can be uncomfortable and distracting during viewing.
Today, nearly every TV manufacturer uses its own commercial name for this process, and in recent years it has become common to emphasize the use of artificial intelligence in upscaling technologies. Samsung typically refers to its solution as AI Upscaling, or 8K AI Upscaling in 8K models. Sony relies on its long-standing 4K Upscaling branding, while LG markets the technology as AI Super Upscaling. Hisense, in turn, uses the name 4K AI Upscaling to describe a similar image-enhancement process in its televisions..
How It Works and What It Really Means
Although image scaling is a standard process used in all televisions, “UHD Upscaling” is essentially a marketing term. In the past, roughly between 2010 and 2014, TVs used dedicated image-scaling programs. These were developed by manufacturers themselves and integrated into the operating system as separate software components.
Today, this approach is no longer used. Image scaling is built directly into the TV’s processor, and separate scaling programs are no longer developed. All calculations required for scaling are handled by algorithms embedded in the TV processor itself.
Some manufacturers claim that, unlike basic scaling methods that simply stretch the image and often reduce detail, UHD Upscaling uses more advanced technologies to improve sharpness and clarity, producing a more natural picture. However, in reality, TVs do not have the computing power required for truly high-quality upscaling. Effective upscaling demands significant CPU resources, which conventional television hardware simply does not provide.
Does UHD upscaling improve image quality?
It is fair to say that a TV cannot truly improve an image through upscaling. The effect of UHD upscaling depends largely on the original resolution of the content. When low-resolution video, such as standard definition or basic HD, is upscaled to UHD, the result is usually underwhelming. The source simply does not contain enough pixel information to produce a clear and detailed picture, so blurring and visual artifacts become more noticeable, especially when viewed from a short distance.
Upscaling from Full HD (1080p) to UHD, however, can deliver noticeably better results. Full HD content already includes a much higher level of detail, which allows the TV’s processing algorithms to work more effectively. As a result, the image on a 4K screen can appear quite sharp. At the same time, the TV does not analyze and process every frame in depth, as this would be extremely demanding. Processing 30 to 60 frames per second in real time, especially during streaming, is beyond the practical capabilities of most TVs. In reality, upscaling remains a fairly standard process that mainly involves stretching the image to fill the entire screen rather than fundamentally enhancing its quality.
