Recently, Our team are deeping in the weeds testing video enhancement tools—specifically focusing on different super-resolution models. We figured we’d break down what works (and what doesn’t) for each, then share the smart enhancement workflow We’ve been using that actually saves time in coming days' posts. Let's have a brief table from starting:

I. A General Classified These Models (Plus Quick Tech Context)

We grouped ’em based on what they’re actually good for—no jargon, just real use cases. Here’s the breakdown:

Category	Representative Models	What Makes ’Em Stand Out
Real-ESRGAN Crew	real_esrgan_x2/x4/x8, the _fp16 versions	Super versatile—great at cutting noise, perfect for regular photos (not just anime)
GANs for Anime/Illustrations	clear_reality_x4, lsdir_x4, nomos8k_sc_x4	Tuned for 2D stuff—sharper lines, crisper details than general models
Web/Blurry Photo Fixers	real_web_photo_x4	Saves those compressed web images/JPEGs that usually look grainy
Artistic Flair (or Overkill)	real_hatgan_x4, remacri_x4, siax_x4	Pushes texture and style, but watch out—they can over-sharpen hard
Fast & Light (For Low-End Gear)	realistic_rescaler_x4, span_kendata_x4	Small file size, quick to run… but don’t expect mind-blowing details
Next-Level Architecture	swin2_sr_x4, ultra_sharp_x4/2_x4	Uses Swin Transformer (fancy tech, but it works)—details pop way more than basic models

Continuing, how do these models best for which scenario?

II. The Good, Bad, & “Only Use If You Have To” (Ranked by Our Experience)

We sorted these by how much We’d actually recommend them—no bias, just what worked when I tested ’em on real stuff.

Model Name	The Good Stuff	The Annoying Bits	When We Use It (Or Not)
✅ clear_reality_x4	My top pick for anime/2D art—details are crisp, colors stay natural, edges don’t blur	If you use it on real photos? It looks plastic. Total no-go there	✅ Anime, 2D art, CG renders (trust me, this one’s a game-changer for that)
✅ swin2_sr_x4	The Swin Transformer tech works—recovers tiny details, and it works on almost anything	It’s a resource hog—slow as molasses if your GPU isn’t great	✅ High-quality shots: architecture, nature, detailed photos (worth the wait)
✅ real_esrgan_x4	The most versatile of the bunch—cuts noise well, perfect for regular photos	Details can feel “flat” sometimes—no “wow” factor, just solid	✅ Real photos, surveillance clips, old family photos (reliably good)
⚠️ real_esrgan_x4_fp16	Blazing fast if you have a GPU—great for bulk work	Slightly less precise, and We saw tiny artifacts here and there	⚠️ Bulk processing where speed matters more than perfection
✅ nomos8k_sc_x4	Made for anime—lines stay clean, and it crushes high-contrast art (like cyberpunk)	Utterly useless for real photos—don’t even try	✅ Anime line art, comics, cyberpunk styles
✅ ultra_sharp_x4 / ultra_sharp_2_x4	Saves blurry images—edges pop, and it makes low-res stuff usable	Easy to overdo it—you’ll get “halos” around objects if you’re not careful	⚠️ Fixing blurry shots (use lightly!)
⚠️ lsdir_x4	Decent for anime detail, but…	Small training dataset—works for some anime styles, flops for others	⚠️ Only if you’re working with a specific anime style it likes (hit or miss)
⚠️ real_web_photo_x4	Fixes those blocky web images (you know the ones)	Chokes on noisy photos—makes grain way worse	⚠️ Web screenshots, blurry social media pics
⚠️ real_hatgan_x4	Cool for artistic shots—generates neat textures	Here’s the problem: it makes up details that aren’t there. Total hallucinations.	❌ Not for regular users (unless you want weird, made-up details)
⚠️ remacri_x4, siax_x4	Fun for creative projects—super stylized	Not realistic at all—don’t use if you want “true” enhancement	❌ Only for artistic stuff (not for fixing real photos)
⚠️ realistic_rescaler_x4, span_kendata_x4	Super fast, even on old laptops/phones	Details are “meh”—you’ll see a difference, but not a big one	⚠️ Quick previews on low-end gear (don’t use for final edits)
❌ real_esrgan_x8 / _x8_fp16	8x magnification sounds cool…	But it’s a disaster—artifacts everywhere, blurry messes, messed-up shapes	❌ Never for real projects (unless you want to spend hours fixing it after)

We did not tested them all yet, but most covered. According most use cases, our video could be categorized to two kinds: anime and real video.

In coming posts, We'll give a series of testing results running on RTX3060 vs A100 for different videos of these two kinds. Including thread count, throughput frames/per seconds, GPU memory usage, time consuming, etc.

Holding...

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