Instead of just stretching the image, these AI models were trained on millions of frames to recognize what a human eye, a Cardassian uniform, or a starship hull should look like. For Season 1 of DS9, which often suffered from 90s "softness" and tape noise, AI upscaling finally provided a way to sharpen the image without losing the cinematic feel of the original film stock. The "Season 1" Challenge
Because these are fan-made projects involving copyrighted material, you won't find them on Netflix or Paramount+. Most fans who enjoy these versions own the original DVDs and use tools like to run their own personal encodes.
The best 4K AI upscales from the 2020 era focused on three specific improvements: star trek deep space 9 s01 ai upscale 4k 2020 best
Bringing out the textures in the Bajoran nose ridges and the intricate details of the Promenade that were previously lost in a muddy SD signal. What is the "Best" Version?
While we wait for an official studio remaster, the 2020 AI upscale movement remains the closest we’ve ever come to seeing Benjamin Sisko take command of the station in the clarity he deserves. It’s not just a resolution bump; it’s like seeing the show through a clean window for the first time in thirty years. Instead of just stretching the image, these AI
Before 2020, upscaling was mostly "interpolation"—software just guessed where pixels should go, resulting in a blurry, "waxy" mess. The release of specialized AI software like changed the game.
In the community of hobbyist "remasterers," the gold standard for a 2020-era upscale usually involves a workflow using or Artemis models. The "Best" versions share these traits: Most fans who enjoy these versions own the
Keeping enough film grain so it doesn't look like a cartoon, but removing the "video noise" from the analog transfer.