What Does Upscaling Mean?
Upscaling is the process of matching an incoming multimedia signal with the native resolution of the display of a device. Upscaling is done by video processing chips that are installed in digital display devices. A low-resolution signal cannot be properly displayed on a large-resolution display, and vice versa, therefore upscaling is inevitable in today’s technology.
Upscaling is also known as upconverting.
Techopedia Explains Upscaling
Suppose an HD-ready display device has a 1,920×1,080-pixel display. Upon connecting a DVD player or a source of video with a standard definition signal and a resolution of 720×575 pixels, the job of the video processing chip would be to upscale and process the video signal to fit the display resolution. If upscaling is not done, then the screen would show large patches of black since the input signal would not be able to cover the entire screen. The signal is deinterlaced and processed, then upscaled using various algorithms and adding pixels.