FLUX video upscale cost: megapixel-second examples for a 10 s clip
BFL prices video upscaling at $0.07 (Precise) or $0.10 (Creative) per megapixel-second. Worked totals for 1080p, 2K and 4K output over 10 seconds.
A 10-second clip upscaled to 1080p costs about $1.45 on FLUX Precise and $2.07 on Creative if the megapixels are counted on the output frame. The same clip at 4K costs about $5.81 and $8.29. Those figures use Black Forest Labs' published rates of $0.07 and $0.10 per megapixel-second.
What BFL published
The BFL announcement describes three upscale factors, 1.5x, 2x and 3x, which take HD input to about 1080p, 2K and 4K, with input starting from 480p. Two modes are priced: Precise at $0.07 per megapixel-second using 4 steps, and Creative at $0.10 per megapixel-second using 8 steps.
The page quotes the unit but the math below assumes the megapixels are those of the output frame. Check the pricing details on BFL's page before you rely on the totals, because counting the input frame instead would give a lower number.
The formula and the worked totals
Cost is rate times megapixels per frame times seconds. A 1920 by 1080 frame is 2.0736 megapixels, 2560 by 1440 is 3.6864, and 3840 by 2160 is 8.2944.
| Output | Megapixels | Precise at $0.07 | Creative at $0.10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (1920x1080) | 2.0736 | $1.45 | $2.07 |
| 2K (2560x1440) | 3.6864 | $2.58 | $3.69 |
| 4K (3840x2160) | 8.2944 | $5.81 | $8.29 |
Three ways to keep the bill down
Because the price scales with seconds and with pixels, the cheapest saving is to upscale only what the viewer sees.
- Trim before you upscale. Removing 3 seconds from a 10-second clip cuts the bill by 30 percent in either mode.
- Use Precise for most shots and keep Creative for the few hero clips that need added detail.
- Pick the lowest factor that meets the delivery spec. Going from 2K to 4K more than doubles the megapixels per frame.
Where this fits with Sume timeline output
If you assemble finished clips on Sume, Timeline 1.0 bills $0.10 per ceil of the output minute and accepts output.width and output.height as even integers from 256 to 2160. That means a 3840 by 2160 landscape frame is outside the stated range, and the default output is 1080 by 1920. Decide the delivery size first, then upscale source clips only if the timeline output needs them.
Use the unbilled POST /v1/timeline-1.0/plan call to check billable_minutes and estimated_cost_usd_micros before you render.
Sources
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Written by Sume