Streaming makes it possible to rewatch favorite TV shows from the past, but streaming platforms are being criticized for using AI upscaling on classic sitcoms like Roseanne and A Different World.
Fans of the shows, which were recently added to Peacock (Roasanne) and Netflix (A Different World), are taking to social media to point out odd facial distortions and nonsensical text that’s like the result of using AI to upscale the old show, with many users calling the footage “horrible.” For creatives in the video industry, however, the criticism highlights some of the shortcomings that generative AI has yet to scale (pun intended).
A Different World, which is a late Eighties spinoff of The Cosby Show, arrived on Netflix last month, when the streaming service began offering all six seasons. But fans of the show were quick to take to Reddit and social media platforms when they noticed oddities that are traditionally associated with generative AI, like garbled facial features and garbled text.
As one Reddit user pointed out, the upscaling not only added “horrible” oddities but eliminated the classic grain that added “charm and nostalgia to the show.”
@shanselman ♬ original sound - Scott Hanselman
TikTok user Scott Hanselman, who is enough of a fan to also own the VHS tapes of the show, directly compares the original to the Netflix version. While Hanselman wouldn’t mind a remastered version, he says that the AI upscaling isn’t there yet – and that its use should at least be labeled.
Importantly in a later video, Hanserlman says he’s not an AI hater – according to his profile, he actually works as a VP in Microsoft’s developer division.
@shanselman ♬ original sound - Scott Hanselman
The oddities that fans have pointed out include garbled faces, but perhaps the biggest clue that AI was used somewhere is the text, which looks like the non-letters and nonsensical words that generative AI typically creates.
The most obvious examples are also often found in the background details, which had fewer details from the in-focus original portion of the footage, and the garbled faces.
Roseanne was recently similarly criticized for strange deformities as it arrived on streaming with Peacock. But while internet commenters are quick to blame the streaming service, Gizmodo points out that the production company may be behind the upscaling rather than the streaming services, and Carsey Warner owns the rights to both programs.
As a photographer, however, I think the criticism over the AI upscaling highlights a broader point: generative AI is introducing glitches when trying to solve a problem that may not even exist in the first place.
Many of the users that are sharing on Reddit, TikTok and YouTube to criticize the AI fails say that the grain and softness adds to the nostalgia of watching an older show. It's the same sort of irony that’s happening with still photography: AI is becoming better at editing out blemishes and smoothing out grain, yet at the same time retro cameras with imperfect images are trending.
As a kid of the Nineties, I’m more drawn to classics like Friends than Roseanne, but I see no need to view my favorite Nineties show in 4K. Not being able to see the actors’ pores is part of the charm of old TV.
But, on the flipside, Netflix’s list of capture requirements include a 3,840 pixel width and shows in the Eihgties were typically shot on film and broadcast at 480i or 720p. Remastering Roseanne – which Casey-Warner notes was done using AI – took eight months. These shows typically need remastering to meet modern standards – but if the internet’s reaction to A Different World and Roseanne is any indication, AI isn’t ready to fully take over the task yet.
You may also like
One of the best tests of the capabilities of generative AI videos is asking the computer to create a video with complex movements, like in this viral AI-generated gymnastics video. Or, brush up on AI-identifying skills with how to tell if an image is AI generated.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
