Native 4K generation vs 1080p upscaled to 4K: which looks better and costs less

Native 4K generation usually looks better, because the model renders detail at the target resolution, while upscaling 1080p to 4K enlarges an existing frame and cannot add detail that was never generated. 1080p costs less at the generation step. On RelayDance, a 5-second Seedance 2.0 1080p clip costs about $2.35 (at $0.470 per second), compared with about $4.90 for a native 4K 5-second clip, before any separate upscaler cost.

Which looks better: native 4K or upscaled 1080p?

Native 4K produces sharper fine detail because each frame is rendered at 4K instead of being enlarged after generation. An upscaler works from the pixels already present in the 1080p output. It can smooth edges and sharpen textures, but it cannot recover detail the model never created, such as small text, hair strands or distant faces. For close-ups and soft subjects the difference is often small. For wide shots with many small elements, it is easier to see. RelayDance also lists Seedance 2.5 at 1080p (model doubao-seedance-2-5-1080p, added 2026-10-10) at about $0.711 per second, which gives you a second 1080p source to test before upscaling. Render short test clips with each option and compare them at your actual delivery size before setting a budget.

Which costs less per clip?

At the generation step, 1080p costs less than native 4K: a 5-second Seedance 2.0 1080p clip is about $2.35, compared with about $4.90 for native 4K. The table uses the per-second rates listed on relaydance.com/models, multiplied by 5 seconds.

RelayDance does not list an upscaling price, so add your own upscaler cost. If upscaling a 5-second clip costs less than about $2.55, the Seedance 2.0 1080p route stays cheaper than native 4K.

How do you request a 4K or 1080p video through the API?

You request either resolution with the same OpenAI-compatible call and change the model and resolution values. According to the relaydance.com docs, “Set base_url to https://relaydance.com/v1 and keep your OpenAI SDK”.

1. Create an API key at relaydance.com/console and send it as Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY.
2. Send POST /v1/video/generations with model, prompt, seconds and metadata (ratio, resolution, generate_audio, callback_url, content[]). Use the exact model ID listed on the models page.
3. Poll GET /v1/video/generations/{task_id} until status is succeeded or failed. The result contains the video URL.
4. Alternatively, set metadata.callback_url to have the final state POSTed to your server.

Full request details are in the RelayDance docs.

FAQ

These answers cover failed jobs, clip length and image resolution pricing.

Am I charged if a 4K generation fails? No. According to relaydance.com, “Failed or errored requests are never billed”, so a failed 4K test does not add to your cost.

How long can a clip be, and how much reference media can I send? Clips can be up to 15 seconds. Each request accepts up to 9 reference images, 3 reference videos and 3 audio tracks in metadata.content[]. You cite them in the prompt as @image1 to @imageN.

Does 4K image output cost more than 1K with gpt-image-2? No. 4K and 1K output cost the same. Image output is free and input is billed, with image-to-image starting from about CNY 0.035.