- TV Series from 20 Years Ago Reintroduced to Global Audiences in 4K Through Inshorts' AI Super-Scaler
- Maximizing the Value of K-Content IP with AI Technology... "Contributing to the Longevity of Well-Made Video Content"
Inshorts, a video content AI solution startup led by CEO Geonchang Lee, is collaborating with Iconix, an animation production company well-known for ‘Pororo’ and headed by CEO Jongil Choi, to newly present ‘Porong Porong Pororo’ Season 2, which was originally produced in SD quality 20 years ago, now in 4K resolution.
‘Porong Porong Pororo’ Season 2, enhanced with Inshorts’ AI super-scaler solution, consists of a total of 52 episodes (each 5 minutes long). The first broadcast began in March on the YouTube channel ‘Pororo Korean’ and the live channel ‘Ppoyo TV,’ with two episodes airing weekly until June 24. Additionally, the upscaled series will be sequentially released on VOD services of the three major IPTV providers and key OTT platforms.
The ‘Porong Porong Pororo’ series has maintained steady popularity domestically and internationally since its first broadcast in 2003, establishing itself as a representative work in the Korean animation IP industry. It has been aired in over 130 countries and has spawned various spin-off contents and sequels, creating the neologism ‘Porotong’ (President Pororo). Through Inshorts’ 4K upscaling, additional video revenue generation is expected not only domestically but also through overseas media distribution.
This upscaling project utilized Inshorts’ AI super-scaler technology. The AI super-scaler is an AI repackaging solution specialized for content videos that converts original content into high resolution while preserving its characteristics, maximizing detail restoration and color enhancement. Unlike conventional upscaling technologies, it applies optimized data and learning methodologies to rebirth the content with value similar to the original, going beyond simple image quality improvement.
Based on this differentiated technological capability, Inshorts continues to achieve collaborative successes both domestically and internationally beyond the Pororo project. It has successfully performed upscaling for Korean IP-based animations such as ‘Leafie, A Hen into the Wild’ and ‘Ghost Messenger,’ establishing itself as a leader in the content AI upscaling market. Recently, it has also supplied its AI super-scaler solution to Alpha Group, China’s largest animation company, gaining recognition for its technology in overseas markets.
Jongil Choi, CEO of Iconix, stated, “Through Inshorts’ technology, we were able to significantly overcome the limitations previously considered inherent in existing upscaling solutions, and we successfully rebirthed the SD-quality ‘Porong Porong Pororo’ Season 2, painstakingly produced 20 years ago, into 4K resolution.” He added, “We expect that Pororo, loved globally as an animation, will meet today’s viewers again with even more vivid image quality through this opportunity.”
Geonchang Lee, CEO of Inshorts, said, “It is meaningful that Inshorts’ AI super-scaler technology contributed to reviving the Pororo TV series, a representative domestic IP content, through this solution provision.” He added, “We plan to continue providing solutions for various genres of content such as dramas, animations, and advertisements to support innovation in the IP business.”
Inshorts plans to continue maximizing the value of K-content IP and restoring past popular content with the latest video technologies beyond this collaboration. Furthermore, it aims to apply AI-based video quality enhancement technologies to the global content market and expand collaborations with overseas distributors and producers.
Meanwhile, Inshorts also offers ‘Inshorts PPL,’ a VPP (virtual product placement) solution alongside the AI super-scaler. It commercialized the VPP service for the first time domestically through CJ ENM’s
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