We've often said that although woodworking is only a bit of our wheelhouse, we have a lot of respect for those who have the skill and patience to turn dead trees into practical objects. Few of these craftsmen are more famous than the legendary Norm Abrams, who hosted The New Yankee Workshop on PBS from 1989-2009.
So we were thrilled when a few months ago The New Yankee Workshop 's official YouTube channel started uploading full episodes of the classic DIY show for a whole new generation to enjoy. Having such a valuable asset online is very nice, but we were especially impressed to see the channel recently started testing an advanced version of its AI software.
The Yankee Workshop episode "Child's Wagon" originally aired in January 1992, previously only available in standard definition. Since this was a relatively low-budget PBS production, it was filmed rather than filmed meaning there were no negatives to go back and scan in higher resolution. But thanks to modern image enhancement technologies, the original video can be sharpened and enhanced up to 1080p with very impressive results.
However, the technology isn't perfect, and the new HD version is not without some "uncanny valley" moments. This is particularly noticeable on human faces, but since the camera is focused almost exclusively on the action, it doesn't happen very often. Surfaces are also smooth and appear larger than they are, and reflective objects can create unusual visual artifacts.
Despite this drawback, this version offers a more comfortable viewing experience on today's devices. It should be noted that a few episodes have been improved so far, each with an "AI HD" icon in the thumbnail to indicate it. Given the computational requirements for such refinement, we expect it to be used on a case-by-case basis for the time being. Still, it's exciting to see this technology enter the mainstream, especially when it's used for culturally valuable content.
