1
Assess detail
Pause on a frame with fine edges, such as lettering or hair. Decide whether the source is genuinely blurry or merely displayed at a larger size; sharpening cannot reconstruct detail that was never recorded.
2
Control noise
Check dark areas and moving subjects for grain, speckles, or compression artifacts. Noise reduction can calm a frame, but too much can erase skin texture and produce a waxy appearance.
3
Balance the image
Compare exposure and color across the beginning, middle, and end. A correction that flatters one frame may make another look unnatural, so judge the clip in motion.