Topaz Starlight API

About Topaz Starlight

Generative repair that rebuilds detail in soft or compressed footage, up to 4K.

Call it with the model name topaz/starlight/upscale on POST /jobs/createTask, from $0.07.

Introduction

Starlight is intended for recordings whose small surfaces have collapsed into blurred patches or compression. Instead of merely spreading those patches across a larger image, the model proposes a more resolved appearance. It can suit selected archive passages and compressed street footage when a generated interpretation is acceptable in the finished edit.

Key features

The five presets cover different restoration goals: current default Precise 2.6, realism-oriented Precise 2.5 for AI material, speed-focused Fast 3, fidelity-oriented Fast 2 and Mini for difficult archives. In the cyclist trial, the reconstructed jersey folds, bicycle boundaries and building surfaces were more defined, but the rider’s face was also redrawn.

Four delivery tiers run from 720p through 4K. Fast 2 has a distinct minimum size, so a request using the lowest tier can still return a full-HD frame. The three-second Precise 2.6 street run at 1080p took roughly seventy-five seconds; this observation helps plan a trial but does not establish a guaranteed turnaround for other clips.

Request parameters

Pricing

Prices are in USD. The API uses a separate USD balance. Website credits cannot be used or transferred to it, and API funds cannot be transferred to website credits. When a task is accepted, we reserve the maximum quoted amount from your API balance. On completion, we charge for actual usage, never more than the hold, and release the remainder. If the task fails, the hold is released.

Send the same request body to POST /jobs/quote to see the estimated and maximum USD charge before running. A quote does not run the task or charge your balance.

Use cases

For a city montage, choose a street shot whose movement remains useful despite heavy compression. Decide whether the newly resolved tram panels and clothing fit the surrounding footage before processing a larger collection of inserts.

For an archive sequence, distinguish an attractive reconstructed image from evidence about historical appearance. A face or sign that becomes clearer can contain generated shapes, so approval should depend on the purpose of the sequence and the importance of those details.

Prompt guide & pro tips

There is no prompt box to direct reconstruction. Use a short moving selection with both a face and a textured background, then test precise_2_6 at 1080p. Try a different preset when the source or restoration goal calls for it, keeping the output tier stable so the comparison remains interpretable.

Review aligned frames and uninterrupted playback before accepting the take. Confirm returned dimensions when using Fast 2, and check sound synchronization as part of delivery. Preserve the original recording so the generated reconstruction remains distinguishable during later editorial decisions.

API quick start

Call the Topaz Starlight API in three steps

1. Create an API key. Sign in to PopNow and create a key in the API console. Keys start with sk-popnow-. API calls use your separate USD balance.
2. Send the request. POST /jobs/createTask with model topaz/starlight/upscale and an input object that follows the parameter table. The response returns a task ID straight away.
3. Get the result. Poll GET /jobs/recordInfo with the task ID, or pass a callBackUrl and we post the result to it. Download the output links when the task succeeds.

# 1. Create the task. Keep the Idempotency-Key if you retry after a network error.
export IDEMPOTENCY_KEY="$(uuidgen)"
curl -X POST https://api.popnow.ai/api/v1/jobs/createTask \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $POPNOW_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $IDEMPOTENCY_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "model": "topaz/starlight/upscale",
  "input": {
    "video_url": "https://media.popnow.ai/effects/flower-bloom-1abd6efb.mp4",
    "preset": "precise_2_6",
    "resolution": "1080p"
  }
}'

# 2. Copy data.taskId from the response, then poll until state is succeeded, failed, canceled or expired.
TASK_ID="TASK_ID_FROM_RESPONSE"
curl "https://api.popnow.ai/api/v1/jobs/recordInfo?taskId=$TASK_ID" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $POPNOW_API_KEY"

Replace the prompt and any links with your own. The API tab has the response, polling and callback reference.

Topaz Starlight API questions

All Topaz models

• Topaz Bloom APICreative upscaling that adds new detail to AI art and illustrationsFrom $0.36 per image
• Topaz Denoise & Sharpen APIRemove noise or fix blur at the same resolution, up to 24 MPFrom $0.12 per image
• Topaz Gigapixel APIFaithful, generative or transparent upscales to 2K, 4K or 8KFrom $0.12 per image
• Topaz Astra APICreative video upscaling with new texture and detail, up to 4KFrom $0.36 per second
• Topaz Starlight APIGenerative repair that rebuilds detail in soft or compressed footage, up to 4KFrom $0.07 per second
• Topaz Video AI APIUpscale to 4K, remove noise or blur, convert to HDR, smooth or slow down motionFrom $0.002 per second

Other video APIs

• MiniMax H3 APIExpressive clips with audio, up to 30 seconds or 2KFrom $0.125 for a 5-second clip

More about Topaz Starlight

Try it

Topaz Starlight AI Image Generator onlineCreate videos with Topaz Starlight in PopNow

Docs

Topaz Starlight model ID and input schema in the API docsPopNow API quickstart: send your first requestImage to video guide for the PopNow APIWebhooks: get Topaz Starlight results without polling