Key Takeaways
- Recent “Pro” Pixel phones offer Video Boost, which provides AI 3K upscaling of 4K video for improved video quality.
- Video Boost is powered by Google Cloud and uses Night Sight technology to improve video quality in low light.
- To use Video Boost on your Pixel 8 Pro, make sure your Wi-Fi is turned on and enable the feature in your camera settings.
When buying a new phone, one of the main features that many people look at is the camera. In 2024, we don’t want to take bad photos with a crappy camera like we did in 2004, even if those photos will be your memories. Nokia or Side Kick Smartphone manufacturers want to eliminate the need to carry a separate camera from your phone, and new technologies are emerging to help you take the best photos and videos.
It’s no secret that iPhone and Android have been battling for the best smartphone camera for years, and it’s also widely acknowledged that Android devices have long held the upper hand thanks to their improved cameras. Megapixels richer colors, and clever AI features. Either way, you’ll want to find a camera that suits your needs, especially if you plan on recording video. One new feature available on the latest Pixel phones is Video Boost.
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Video Boost produces higher quality video and lets you shoot in the dark. It uses Google Cloud to enhance your video so the quality of your video actually improves. If you want to know more about this new technology and how it works, read on. You’ll probably forget about photos and videos from 2004.
Note: Both the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL support AI-accelerated 3K upscaling of 4K videos through Video Boost. This article will be updated with more information on Video Boost support for the Pixel 9 Pro series when it becomes available on Google’s new flagship device.
1 Currently only available on one phone
Get the Google Pixel 8 Pro
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Pixel 9 Pro
Google Pixel 8 Pro is the first Google smartphone with Google AI built in. The phone comes with Video Boost and a 6.7-inch Super Actua display.
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Pixel 9 Pro
The Pixel 9 Pro introduces a new angular design, Tensor G4 chip, and new AI features like Pixel Screenshots to Google’s flagship smartphone line. The phone will be available from September 4.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro is currently the only smartphone with the Pixel’s Video Boost feature. This is because the Pixel 8 Pro is the only Google smartphone with Google AI built in. The Google Tensor G3 chip is specially designed with AI capabilities to power smartphones, and currently Gemini Nano Not only will this chip have the ability to perform AI tasks, but it will also offer increased speed to perform tasks quickly and efficiently.
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The Google Pixel 8 Pro sells for $1,000 for 128GB, but is frequently discounted at stores like Best Buy and Amazon. If you plan on using Video Boost a lot, we recommend getting something with more storage, as video clips can take up a lot of space. You can choose up to 1TB of storage.
2 Video Boost is powered by AI
AI Recreates Your Videos
Whether we embrace it or not, AI is the future of many technologies. Google has already embraced it, with AI built into the Pixel 8 Pro. Video Boost uses AI to enhance and modify your videos to make them the best they can be. But there’s a catch: the video modifications aren’t done on your phone, they’re done on Google servers in the cloud.
The Tensor G3 helps you capture the video, and the AI in Google’s servers transforms it into the video you want. To use Video Boost, you need a Google Photos account. The video you capture will initially appear on your phone, but then the video is also sent to the cloud, where the servers use AI technology to enhance the video.
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It’s Google’s AI that actually changes the video, so you have no control over it, but Google uploads the enhanced video to your Google Photos account so you can compare the difference between the original video you took and the enhanced version.
3 Use Night Sight
That’s why it looks so good
Since the launch of the Pixel 3, all smartphones have come with Night Sight, a feature from Google that helps you take clear photos in the dark. Video Boost uses the technology from Night Sight, which takes multiple images at once and combines them to create one brighter image, and then uses this on your video, turning it into one upgraded video. It enhances the low-light aspects of videos taken in the dark, creating clearer videos.
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The technology the server is using to enhance the video takes Night Sight technology to a new level, and it’s likely to be a feature coming to many new Google phones in the future, although Night Sight isn’t yet available in images from other Pixel phones.
4 How to use Video Boost correctly
Make sure Wi-Fi is turned on
To use Video Boost on your Pixel 8 Pro, you’ll need to turn the feature on. If you’re shooting in a very dark environment, your phone will suggest turning on Night Shot and Video Boost. Open Google Camera and tap or swipe up on the Video Settings button. Then turn on Video Boost. The first time you use Video Boost, it’s automatically set to 4K resolution, SDR, and 30 frames per second. You can tweak all of this to suit your needs, especially if you want it to upload and process faster. You can also turn on 10-bit HDR and change the settings to make colors more vibrant.
Next time you record, use Video Boost. The maximum limit for a video is 10 minutes. If you are out of storage space, the video will automatically stop when you reach it. To get the best version of your video, you should automatically back it up in Google Photos. You should also set it to back up on Wi-Fi so that the next time you connect to Wi-Fi, your photos will be automatically uploaded and your Google Photos account will be backed up.
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Make sure you shoot in low light. Video Boost is recommended for use in low light. If you just want to slightly enhance your photos, you won’t see a noticeable difference in your video. But if you shoot in low light, meaning it’s dark outside, Video Boost can enhance your video and make it much easier to watch.
5 What to expect when using Video Boost
It may take some time
Even if you’re uploading over Wi-Fi and your video is under 10 minutes long, be prepared to wait. Your original video is available to share as soon as you finish shooting. However, it may take a few hours for the enhanced Video Boost video to be created and uploaded to your Google Photos account. So if you’re not taking full advantage of Video Boost — that is, if you shoot in low light and want to see more vibrant colors in low light — you might not find the setting worth it. Either way, Video Boost files don’t take up much more space on your account than regular videos, so if you have the time to wait, it might be worth it.
