Revamped Video Experience with Google’s Pixel 8 Pro and Beyond
The launch of Google’s Pixel 8 Pro brought an exciting feature to the forefront: Video Boost. This cutting-edge, AI-driven camera enhancement is focused on elevating video quality by refining details, colors, and lighting. Following its initial release, this functionality has been adopted by the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL. However, enabling it initially presented some challenges for users. Now, after a year of iterations, Google has decided to make Video Boost automatically active—a notable improvement in user experience—but there’s an essential detail to keep in mind.
Understanding the Mechanics of Video Boost
Video Boost operates as a sophisticated AI feature that uplifts the visual quality of videos through advanced processing methods—functionally similar to HDR technology but tailored specifically for moving images. As a result of its demanding nature, this tool is compatible exclusively with certain Pixel devices equipped with requisite hardware and on-device generative AI capabilities; these include the Pixel 8 Pro along with both versions of the Pixel 9 series.
Reliable Activation—No More Manual Enabling
In earlier iterations of Google’s Camera app, users were required to manually switch on Video Boost before starting their recordings. Furthermore, this setting would revert each time they exited out of the camera application—adding additional steps that many found inconvenient.
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The latest update from Google alters this process entirely. The newer version of the Camera app now ensures that once enabled in settings, Video Boost remains active permanently—even across sessions when users close and reopen their apps. Such a change enhances usability significantly by removing redundant steps.
This new functionality appears actively for owners of both models within the Pixel 9 series; however, plans are underway for it to extend to users of the Pixel 8 Pro via a server-side rollout soon.
A Consideration: Increased File Size Implications
While having constant access to Video Boost is undoubtedly advantageous functionality-wise,* there exists an important consideration regarding file storage—it leads to larger file sizes.
By default settings capture footage at resolutions up to 4K at 30 frames per second (fps) or even higher resolutions such as 8K at faster frame rates like 60 fps when utilizing Video Boost features. This enhanced AI processing can significantly enlarge file sizes compared to standard recordings rather than optimized formats found across various smartphones today; hence it may pose issues for those working with limited storage options or basic cloud accounts who could run short unexpectedly.
To mitigate potential shortages while ensuring optimal recording capabilities are maintained over time Users can take manual control over activating or deactivating this feature when necessary by switching into video mode accessing Settings menu toggling between enabling/disabling features accordingly based solely upon immediate functional needs rather than circuitous processes involving repetitive actions throughout individual usage instances respectively.”