Video upscaler for Mac

Upscale video on Mac offline: preview, export and check the result

By David Balderston, developer of Local Video Upscaler · Updated November 8, 2026

Local Video Upscaler can enlarge low-resolution video on a compatible Mac without uploading it. It is a $9.99 one-time US App Store purchase with no subscription or in-app purchases, and that one purchase covers your Mac, iPhone and iPad. The Mac app requires macOS 26 or later; check Apple’s compatibility section for your Mac before purchasing.

This workflow is for an existing digital video file. It does not digitize a tape, stabilize a shaky recording, generate extra frames, or promise to recover detail that was never captured.

Check the Mac and source before buying

• Confirm compatibility. Open the Mac App Store listing on the Mac you intend to use. A newer app version or a mobile listing does not by itself prove your Mac is supported.
• Keep the original file. Start from a camera transfer, original Photos export or original download, rather than a screen recording of another player.
• Check the starting size. Already-4K videos are skipped. A 360p, 720p or 1080p source leaves room for enlargement, but its detail and compression still set the quality ceiling.
• Allow space for a second file. Keep the input plus the processed copy. Output size depends on the clip, so a fixed storage-per-minute promise would be misleading.

Preview one short, representative clip

1. Choose a video in the app. For a long archive, begin with a short copy that includes a face, movement and a textured area. Keep any edits separate from the original.
2. Compare Natural and Clean. Natural aims to retain texture. Clean smooths heavier grain and compression. Check skin, hair, text and edges instead of choosing the smoothest-looking frame.
3. Choose 2× or 4×. The output is capped at 4K. A 640 × 360 input nominally reaches 1280 × 720 at 2× or 2560 × 1440 at 4×; it does not automatically become 4K. See the worked resolution examples.
4. Compare at the same display size. A larger player window or a different crop is not a fair before-and-after comparison. Look for plausible texture becoming invented detail.

Process a copy, then inspect it outside the preview

Start the short test and review the completed file in your intended player before processing a long clip or queue. Local processing keeps the video on your device; it does not make the work instantaneous. Device, settings, frame count and temperature affect processing time.

Motion

Play movement at normal speed. Check for flickering edges or faces changing between frames. A sharp still frame alone is insufficient.

Size and orientation

Check exported dimensions and portrait/landscape orientation. The 4K cap applies even when the selected enlargement would calculate a larger image.

Sound

The app preserves source audio and frame rate. Listen to speech and check synchronization at both ends of the clip.

Format and color

Output is HEVC. HDR input becomes SDR, so check bright areas and color in the destination player. This workflow does not preserve an HDR master.

Originals

Keep the source and label the enhanced file. AI estimates detail and cannot guarantee a historically faithful reconstruction.

Watch actual output, then check your own Mac export

The existing before-and-after video demonstration uses a licensed film excerpt prepared at 360p and processed with Natural 4×. Its disclosed export is 3452 × 1440 with all 192 frames and original audio preserved. This eight-second comparison sample is separate from the earlier four-second, 96-frame source/export pair available on the results page. It was produced in desktop Simulator, so it is output-quality evidence for that sample, not a Mac or iPhone speed benchmark.

Source: Tears of Steel © Blender Foundation · CC BY 3.0. Trimmed, downsampled, compressed and upscaled. Download the landscape comparison · Download the vertical comparison.

What this example proves

The 3452 × 1440 dimensions describe the app’s processed sample. The downloadable 1920 × 1080 landscape MP4 is a comparison presentation containing labels and a close-up, not the raw HEVC export. The sample was processed in desktop Simulator; it does not establish native Mac timing or performance on your device. No processing-time or output-file-size benchmark is available here.

Check the saved file on your Mac

1. Open the completed copy in QuickTime Player and choose Window → Show Movie Inspector. Compare its resolution and frame rate with the original; a larger player window does not prove a larger file resolution.
2. In Finder, select the exported copy and choose File → Get Info to check its file size. Keep enough space for the source and output; this example is not a storage-per-minute estimate.
3. Play faces and moving edges at normal speed. Listen at the beginning and end for audio synchronization. A good preview frame is not a full motion test.
4. Compare bright highlights and skin tones. The app exports HEVC and converts HDR to SDR; keep your original HDR file if that appearance matters.

Apple documents QuickTime Player’s Movie Inspector and file information in Finder. For the phone workflow, see the iPhone guide and the same motion sample.

When another workflow is a better fit

If you need stabilization, frame interpolation, detailed timeline editing, HDR output or damaged-tape repair, check those requirements in a dedicated tool before paying. The comparison guide explains the difference between focused on-device enlargement, desktop restoration controls and open-source workflows.

If you only need still-image enlargement, use Local Photo Upscaler. If you need both types of media, compare Photo, Video and the bundle. On a Mac, Photo needs Apple silicon and macOS 15.2+, and Video needs macOS 26+.

Get Local Video Upscaler on the Mac App Store

Purchase facts checked against Apple’s public US listing on November 10, 2026. Capabilities are developer-described, not an independent performance benchmark. Full facts and limitations.

Download the source and raw export; read recorded test results

Watch the actual source/output comparison