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 mid-2020 via torrent sites, the general consensus from reviews at the time was mixed:

In the isolation of the 2020 lockdown, a heartbroken fan with a background in AI restoration takes on the impossible: rescuing the "lost" first season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from its murky, standard-definition grave and pulling a forgotten, prophetic message into the 4K future.

A highly regarded project that focuses on natural results rather than extreme sharpness. This creator provides a detailed guide on GitHub

for those wanting to run the upscale themselves. While they often output at 960p to avoid "AI artifacts," the quality is frequently cited as a major improvement over the DVDs. Vertag (2020):

He cries. Not from sadness, but from the miracle of seeing a 27-year-old performance for the first time.