Script to upscale videos using OpenCV and ffmpeg

videoupscaler.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

# Written by Shivasiddharth a.k.a Sid
# Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/SidsEClassroom
# Share this script  without removing the author's name

# This piece of script Upscales or Downscales videos using Opencv
# If the original video has an audio stream,
# it will merge the audio from the source file with the scaled video

# Usage: python3 videoupscaler.py -i "Sample.mp4" -o "Sample_Upscaled.mp4" -r 1920 1080

import cv2
import subprocess
from tqdm import tqdm
import sys
import argparse

def scale_video(sourcevideopath, upscaledvideopath, scalingresolution):
    videosourcename = sourcevideopath
    sourcevideo = cv2.VideoCapture(videosourcename)
    destvideo = "Upscaled_Video.mp4"
    sourcefps = sourcevideo.get(cv2.CAP_PROP_FPS)
    totalframes = int(sourcevideo.get(cv2.CAP_PROP_FRAME_COUNT))
    format = cv2.VideoWriter_fourcc(*'mp4v')
    newresolution = scalingresolution
    scaledvideo = cv2.VideoWriter(destvideo, format, sourcefps, newresolution)
    print("")
    print("Rescaling...........")
    print("")
    pbar = tqdm(total=totalframes)
    while True:
        ret, frame = sourcevideo.read()
        if ret == True:
            b = cv2.resize(frame,newresolution,fx=0,fy=0, interpolation = cv2.INTER_CUBIC)
            scaledvideo.write(b)
            pbar.update(1)
        else:
            pbar.close()
            break
    sourcevideo.release()
    scaledvideo.release()
    cv2.destroyAllWindows()
    p = subprocess.Popen("ffprobe -show_streams -print_format json " + sourcevideopath, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
    streams = p.communicate()[0]
    streams = streams.decode('utf-8')
    if 'audio' in streams.lower():
        print("")
        print("Extracting audio from source video.........")
        print("")
        subprocess.call("ffmpeg -i " + sourcevideopath + " sourceaudio.mp3", shell=True)
        print("")
        print("Merging source audio and upscaled video.........")
        print("")
        subprocess.call("ffmpeg -i " + destvideo + " -i sourceaudio.mp3 -map 0:0 -map 1:0 " + upscaledvideopath, shell=True)
    else:
        print("")
        print("No audio stream found.........")
        print("")

parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(formatter_class=argparse.RawTextHelpFormatter)
parser.add_argument('-i', type=str,
                    metavar='Source video path', required=True,
                    help='Path to source file.')
parser.add_argument('-o', type=str,
                    metavar='Scaled video path', required=True,
                    help='Path to scaled file.')
parser.add_argument('-r', type=int, nargs='+',
                    metavar='Desired video resolution', required=True,
                    help='Desired video output resolution.')
args = parser.parse_args()

if not args.i and not i:
    raise Exception('Missing -i Input option')
if not args.o and not o:
    raise Exception('Missing -o Output option')
if not args.r and not r:
    raise Exception('Missing -r Resolution option')

scale_video(args.i, args.o, tuple(args.r))

I tried to up scale a 144p video to 720p and it didn't work the video file just got bigger in size with no quality changes at all

I tried to up scale a 144p video to 720p and it didn't work the video file just got bigger in size with no quality changes at all

It was because a 144p video is a very low resolution while cv2 just upscales (increases width & height and maintains aspect ratio) each frame one by one and it has nothing to do with enhancing quality, if you want to improve the quality of a video, for example, restoring an old video, then you should consider some AI software that enhances the quality of each frame one by one.