Furthermore, Season 1’s DVDs are the most compressed and artifact-ridden. Thus, a successful upscale of S01 represented the biggest leap in quality. Later seasons (which had slightly better DVD masters) would be easier, but S01 was the holy grail. The 2020 project existed in a gray area. It was unquestionably copyright infringement. However, the fan team never sold the upscales. They distributed them for free, typically only to those who could prove they owned the original DVDs (a "fair use" justification that doesn’t fully hold water legally but is common in fan restoration).
Shot on 35mm film but edited on standard-definition videotape, DS9 (alongside Voyager ) was trapped in a visual purgatory. A true 4K remaster—like the one The Next Generation received—was deemed prohibitively expensive by Paramount. For years, fans resigned themselves to grainy, low-bitrate DVD rips. Then came the convergence of two phenomena: the thirst for nostalgia-driven 4K content, and the rapid maturation of AI upscaling technology. star trek deep space 9 s01 ai upscale 4k 2020
If you own the DVDs and a 4K monitor, seek out the 2020 AI upscale of DS9 Season 1. It is the best proxy for a remaster you will ever see. And who knows? If enough fans watch it, maybe one day, Paramount will finally listen. But until then, the AI will hold the line at Terok Nor. Have you watched the AI upscale? Which fan restoration do you prefer—the 2020 version or a newer model? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Furthermore, Season 1’s DVDs are the most compressed
In 2020, a fan-driven project emerged that changed how we watch the Dominion War unfold. This article explores the —what it is, how it was made, its quality, and why it remains a landmark moment in fan restoration. The Problem: Why DS9 Looked "Bad" for So Long To appreciate the 2020 AI upscale, one must understand the technical tragedy of DS9’s original production. Unlike The Original Series and TNG , which were edited on film, DS9 (from Season 1 onward) was shot on 35mm film but then transferred to standard definition (480i) videotape for editing. The special effects (CGI ship battles, phaser fire, alien worlds) were rendered directly at 480p. The 2020 project existed in a gray area
You can find it on fan restoration forums (like the "Trek Core" or "Fan Res" subreddits), Usenet, or private torrent trackers. Typical file sizes for Season 1 range from 150GB (h.265 compressed) to over 500GB (lossless). Most fans recommend the "Cryogenic" or "Joy’s Trek" releases as the definitive 2020 versions.