IIRC there were 4k upscaling demos but I'm past the point of pixel resolution, my interests are not in pristine visuals but a blend of surprises in content and composition.

Upscaling is 'real' in the sense that it exists, and for animation in particular the results can be quite satisfying.

But the technology to add missing detail will never exist; we must be content with a realistic facsimile.

> But the technology to add missing detail will never exist; we must be content with a realistic facsimile.

You are right in a sense. But there are some details that are in the pixels but that your eyes can't see. You can upscale to make them visible to the eyes.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed_sensing