The "Deep Space 9" AI upscaling trend peaked in 2020 as fans took matters into their own hands, using machine learning to bypass the official remastering stalemate.

The Problem: Why DS9 Looked Terrible in the Streaming Era

Before we praise the solution, we must understand the pain. When Paramount+ (then CBS All Access) began streaming DS9, they didn't remaster it. They simply de-interlaced the old 90s NTSC broadcast tapes. The result was a nightmare:

JoyBell (UTRCorp): Released a more compressed 1080p version (approx. 12GB per season) in late 2020, favored for smaller storage footprints. 🛠️ Why It Was a "Hot" Topic The Documentary Influence: The 2019 documentary What We Left Behind

  • The AI Solution: The 2020 upscales utilized temporal coherence (looking at multiple frames at once) to differentiate between film grain and image detail. The result? The textured Cardassian architecture—formerly a blurry gray blob—suddenly revealed distinct panels, ridges, and alien script.

For DS9 Season 1, this was a game-changer. The pilot, "Emissary," is notoriously dark and grainy. AI upscaling allowed fans to:

  • Noise Reduction: Apply noise reduction techniques to minimize grain and digital noise.
  • Sharpening: Apply sharpening techniques to enhance details and textures.
  • Color Correction: Adjust color settings to ensure consistency and accuracy.

Fans begged for an HD remaster like TNG received, but Paramount balked. The cost of re-editing 176 episodes from the original film reels was estimated at over $20 million. They declared it "financially non-viable."

Grain: Fans often use tools like QTGMC to clean up interlacing before the AI upscale to prevent artifacts. If you're looking for the best way to watch, let me know: