AI Upscale - free AI video upscaler & frame interpolation for NVIDIA GPUs
=========================================================================

HOW TO INSTALL (one time, about 10-20 minutes)
----------------------------------------------

  STEP 1 - Extract the zip  (important - it won't work from inside the zip!)
     Right-click the AI-Upscale zip you downloaded  ->  "Extract All..."  ->  click "Extract".
     A normal folder called AI-Upscale opens. Do everything below in THAT folder.
     Tip: Documents or C:\AI Upscale are good places. Not "Program Files".

  STEP 2 - Double-click  "2 - INSTALL (double-click me)"
     A window opens and shows 5 simple steps with a progress bar while it downloads everything
     AI Upscale needs (about 5 GB). Leave it open until it says DONE in green.
     AI Upscale then opens by itself.

     Blue window saying "Windows protected your PC"?  That's normal for small apps
     that aren't from a big company. Click "More info", then "Run anyway".

  STEP 3 - That's it!
     From now on, open "AI Upscale" from your desktop (or the Start menu).
     (You can also double-click "3 - Open AI Upscale" in this folder.)


WHAT YOU NEED
-------------
  - Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)
  - An NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card (RTX 20-series or newer). 6 GB+ VRAM recommended,
    8 GB+ ideal. Laptop GPUs work great (it was built on an RTX 5060 Laptop GPU).
  - NVIDIA driver 580 or newer (update it in the NVIDIA App or at nvidia.com)
  - About 12 GB of free disk space while installing (about 7 GB afterwards)
  - Internet for the one-time install


SOMETHING WENT WRONG?
---------------------
  - "You need to EXTRACT the zip first" (red window): you opened the installer from inside
    the zip. Do STEP 1, then try again from the extracted folder.
  - The window closed with a red X message: read it - it says what to fix (old NVIDIA driver,
    no internet...). Fix that, then double-click "2 - INSTALL" again. It continues where it
    stopped; nothing is downloaded twice.
  - Still stuck? Email me and I'll help: raiyanaukeli@gmail.com


HOW TO USE IT
-------------
  1. Drop a video into the window (or click to browse).
  2. The content type (Real / Anime / 3D Animation) is detected automatically.
  3. Pick a Quick preset (e.g. "Wallpaper" or "Crisp 4K") or choose resolution, frame rate
     (60/90/120 fps) and quality (Speed / Balanced / Max detail) yourself.
  4. Use "Compare looks" and the before/after slider to check the result, "Test 10s" for a
     short trial, then "Upscale video".
  The first render with a new model spends a minute or two optimising it for your GPU.
  Old, blurry or blocky video (480p, 720p, phone or messenger clips)? Turn on
  "Fix low-quality video" - it is switched on automatically for very low-resolution files.


FREE vs PREMIUM
---------------
  Free edition: free forever, no account, no watermark (with ads; clips under 1 minute, up to 2K).
  Premium: $5 once - yours forever. No ads, any length, 4K, 60/90/120 fps, Max detail, a new look
  and Bao the panda. No subscription; it never expires and works offline.

  To get Premium, click "Pay $5 - remove ads & support me" in the app (or visit
  https://ai-upscale.pages.dev/). After paying you get a key like AIU5-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX:
  it is shown on the website, saved to your Downloads as AI-Upscale-Premium-Key.txt (the app
  picks it up by itself) and printed in your PayPal receipt. Or paste it in the app:
  Premium key -> Enter key. The key survives updates and reinstalls.
  Lost it? Contact me: raiyanaukeli@gmail.com


UPDATING FROM AN OLDER VERSION
------------------------------
  Extract the new zip over your existing AI Upscale folder (replace the files). Your models,
  settings, history and Premium key are kept. No need to install again.


UNINSTALL
---------
  Delete the AI Upscale folder and the "AI Upscale" shortcuts. Nothing else was changed on your PC.


WHAT'S NEW
----------
  1.2.3
  - The install window is much simpler: just the 5 steps and a progress bar, no technical text
    (the details are saved in logs\install.log in case you need help).

  1.2.2
  - Much easier install: numbered files (1 - read me, 2 - install, 3 - open), a clear message
    if you open the installer without extracting the zip, and AI Upscale opens by itself
    when the install finishes.

  1.2.1
  - New website address: https://ai-upscale.pages.dev/ (the Pay, Donate and ad links in the app use it).

  1.2.0
  - Two editions: the Free edition (with ads) and Premium ($5 once, lifetime, no ads, no limits).
  - Premium: a brand-new design and Bao, a little panda who reacts to what you're doing.
  - A small Donate button for everyone.
  - Fixed: the render bar could get squashed at the bottom of the window.

  1.1.0
  - Fixed: after pressing Start the preview could stay black for a minute or more.
  - Faster on every GPU and much lighter on VRAM (heavy models 1.6-2.4x faster, ~1.6 GB VRAM).
  - 1080p -> 4K with 4x models no longer renders 8K frames first: about 2x faster, same look.
  - New "Fix low-quality video" option for blurry, blocky or noisy videos.
  - Fixed: closing the app during a render left Wallpaper Engine paused.


LICENSE
-------
  AI Upscale is free to use under its own license (see LICENSE.txt). The AI models are made by
  their own authors and are downloaded from their official pages - see THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt.
  Some models are licensed for NON-COMMERCIAL use only: use AI Upscale for personal projects.
  Wallpaper Engine is a trademark of its respective owner. AI Upscale is an independent project
  and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wallpaper Engine; it only pauses/resumes it.
