AI video restoration API

What makes old video look old

Video degradation comes from multiple sources, often compounding:

• Analog noise: Tape hiss, tracking errors, color bleed from VHS/8mm/Beta
• Compression artifacts: Blocky macroblocks from early digital codecs
• Resolution loss: Upscaling SD to HD stretches pixels without adding detail
• Face softness: Faces lose definition, making identification harder
• Color degradation: Faded, shifted, or desaturated color

Restoration addresses these systematically rather than hoping a single filter fixes everything.

How the API restores video

BetterVideo's restoration pipeline combines multiple AI techniques:

• Real-ESRGAN super-resolution: Reconstruct detail at higher resolution, not just interpolate pixels
• GFPGAN face restoration: Restore facial detail specifically, preserving identity
• Adaptive denoising: Reduce grain and compression artifacts without over-smoothing
• Contrast enhancement: Recover dynamic range from flat, faded footage

One call runs the full pipeline — output is H.264 MP4, ready to use.

Who uses video restoration APIs

• Archives and libraries: Digitize and enhance historical video collections
• Studios and broadcasters: Restore catalog content for streaming release
• Family history platforms: Enhance user-uploaded home movies
• Legal and investigations: Clarify old evidence video

One API call — curl, Python & Node

Submit a video by URL, then poll GET /v1/jobs/{id} until done (or receive a signed webhook), and fetch a time-limited download link:

curl -X POST https://api.bettervideo.io/v1/jobs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"video_url":"https://.../clip.mp4","resolution":"1080p"}'

import requests
r = requests.post("https://api.bettervideo.io/v1/jobs",
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_KEY"},
    json={"video_url": "https://.../clip.mp4", "resolution": "1080p"})
job = r.json()  # poll GET /v1/jobs/{job['id']} until status == "done"

const res = await fetch("https://api.bettervideo.io/v1/jobs", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_KEY", "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({ video_url: "https://.../clip.mp4", resolution: "1080p" })
});
const job = await res.json();

Privacy is the default, not an upgrade

• Never trained on. Pre-trained, fixed-weight models — your frames are enhanced and returned, never used to train AI.
• Never sold or shared. No third parties, no data brokers, no "anonymized" resale.
• Auto-deleted. Files self-delete (default 30 days), or delete any job instantly with one call.
• Proof on the Secure tier. Every deletion can return a signed deletion certificate, with a full audit log.