Progressive vs Interlaced Scanning: Key Differences & Which to Choose for Video Quality

Understanding Video Scanning Techniques

Every video you watch consists of frames positioned specially, through progressive or interlaced scanning. These two methods affect how clear, smooth, and realistic your videos look. So, picking the wrong one can lead to flickering, blurriness, or wasted storage. If you're a video creator, streamer, or someone who loves sharp visuals, understanding scan types is key to the best viewing experience. This article will help you understand what is interlaced and progressive scanning, and how to pick the scan type that suits your video project.

What is Progressive Scanning?

Progressive scanning is a method of displaying, storing, or transmitting moving images where all lines of each frame are drawn in sequence. This means that the entire image is displayed at once, from top to bottom, in a single pass.

In video editing, progressive scanning refers to displaying or recording video where each frame is drawn or captured sequentially, line by line, from top to bottom.

Pros

Higher resolution: Progressive scanning draws every line of the frame in sequence, which results in a complete and sharper image. This helps maintain full resolution without losing detail.
More accurate colors: Progressive scan makes colors look better and more natural. Since it shows the full image in one go, there’s no weird color flickering or dull spots.
Better image quality: Progressive scanning captures and displays the entire frame at once, unlike interlaced scanning, which displays odd and even lines separately. This results in a sharper, more detailed image with fewer visual artifacts.
Works on modern screens: Most TVs, phones, and laptops today are made for progressive scan. So, if your video is progressive, it just works better and looks amazing on modern screens.

Cons

Higher bandwidth required: Progressive scanning sends more data all at once, which means it needs faster internet. If your connection isn’t strong, you might see buffering or lag.
Needs more storage: Recording complete frames takes up more space compared to interlaced video. Therefore, large video files can quickly fill up memory cards or hard drives.
More power consumption: Furthermore, progressive scanning demands more processing power, especially at higher resolutions. This can lead to faster battery drain and increased heat on some devices.

What is Interlaced Scanning?

Interlaced scanning is a technique used in video display where the image is drawn on the screen in two passes, first displaying all odd-numbered lines and then all even-numbered lines, or vice versa.

In video editing, this technique was designed to make videos run smoothly using less data. However, nowadays, editors often need to clean up or convert interlaced footage so it plays properly on today's digital screens.

Pros

Compatible with older displays: Interlaced scanning was the standard for older CRT (cathode ray tube) televisions and other display technologies, which was compatible with a vast installed base of devices.
Lower bandwidth and data usage: By transmitting only half the lines of a frame at a time, interlaced scanning significantly lowered the bandwidth needed for video transmission and broadcasting.
Higher Effective Frame Rate: Although each field only contains half of the lines, the rapid switching between fields could make the perceived frame rate appear higher than the actual field rate, boosting the perceived smoothness of movement.

Cons

Can cause flickering: Because of the alternating field display, interlaced scanning may result in noticeable flicker, particularly on larger screens or with images that have a lot of contrast.
Poor quality with fast motion scenes: Fast-moving objects often look blurry or distorted in interlaced video because each half-frame captures a slightly different moment in time. This “comb” effect lowers the clarity and can ruin the smoothness of fast action.
Not ideal for modern displays: Modern displays, such as LCDs and LEDs, are made for progressive scanning and are not well suited for interlaced scanning.

Key Elements of Progressive Scanning and Interlaced Scanning

When it comes to progressive scan and interlaced scan, there are key elements that plays important roles in how your video looks and performs. They include:

Frame Display:

This refers to how a full image (or video frame) shows up on the screen. In simple terms, it's about when and how each frame is revealed while the video plays.

Video Quality:

Video quality is all about how clear, sharp, and smooth a video looks. The way a video is scanned and processed plays a big role in this. As a result, the scanning method can either boost your viewing experience or make it feel off.

Field-Based Display:

A field-based display is a system where each video frame is split into two sections called fields. Each field contains half the lines of the image, one with the odd lines and one with the even lines. Together, they're shown in quick flashes, which helps create the feeling of a full picture.

Bandwidth Conservation:

Bandwidth conservation means using less data to play, send, or store video content. This was especially important when internet speeds were slower or broadcast systems had limits.

Differences Between Progressive and Interlaced Scanning

The table below clearly shows what makes interlaced video scan vs progressive scanning techniques differ from each other:

Parameter	Progressive Scanning	Interlaced Scanning
Picture Quality	Progressive scanning provides a smooth and sharp image by displaying the entire frame at once.	Interlaced scanning can appear flickery or blurry because it displays two separate fields per frame.
Bandwidth	It uses more bandwidth since it transmits full frames, which increases data size and streaming load.	It uses less bandwidth by sending only half the frame at a time, making it more efficient for older systems.
Combing Effect	There is no combing effect in progressive scanning because motion is captured in a full frame.	Interlaced scanning can cause a combing effect during fast motion, where moving objects look torn or jagged.
Image Resolution	Progressive scanning shows full resolution in every frame, giving better detail and clarity.	Interlaced scanning reduces effective resolution by splitting the image into two fields.
Display Speed	Displaying full frames may take slightly longer to process, but it results in a smoother viewing experience.	Interlaced scanning displays faster by sending partial frames, but the video can feel jittery or uneven.
Audio-Image Sync	Audio and video usually stay perfectly in sync with progressive scanning, especially on digital platforms.	Interlaced scanning can sometimes lead to slight sync issues, especially when editing or converting footage.

Real World Applications of Interlaced and Progressive Scanning

To help you understand progressive and interlaced scanning better, let use quickly look at how they are used in real life:

For Interlaced Scanning

Traditional TV Broadcasting

Interlaced scanning was the norm for analog TV broadcasting for decades. It allowed broadcasters to send video signals using less bandwidth, which was perfect for over-the-air transmission. For example, NTSC and PAL systems used in older TVs worldwide were built to support interlaced video formats like 480i or 576i.

Camcorders and Home Videos

Many older consumer camcorders recorded in interlaced formats because they could capture smoother motion using less storage. It was a great solution for home videos where saving battery life and memory space was important. If you've ever watched a VHS tape or early DV recording, chances are it was interlaced.

DVD and SD Media Content

Standard Definition (SD) DVDs often use interlaced video formats like 480i. This helped ensure compatibility with older CRT TVs and DVD players. Even today, some legacy DVD content remains in interlaced format, especially if it was originally shot or produced before HD became common.

For Progressive Scanning

Online Streaming Platforms

Most online video services like YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu use progressive scanning to deliver clean high quality content. Progressive video looks much better on digital screens and avoids flickering or motion blur. For example, a YouTube video at 1080p is streamed progressively and looks smooth on phones, laptops, and smart TVs.

Digital Filmmaking and Editing

Modern cameras and editing software are built for progressive formats because they provide better control over image quality. Editors can easily color grade, stabilize, and cut footage without worrying about interlaced artifacts. Hollywood films, YouTube vlogs, and commercials are all edited in progressive scan to maintain clarity and detail.

Live Streaming

Live streaming events like gaming, webinars, or concerts use progressive scanning to deliver real-time, high-quality video. This method ensures smooth motion and avoids flickers even when things move quickly on screen.

Social Media Content

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook videos use progressive scanning. It's sharp, colorful, and consistent across all screen sizes. Since most people watch on phones and modern screens, progressive scan is the best for maximum visual appeal.

The Most Overlooked Mistakes in Scanning Format Workflow

Even pro editors make scanning mistakes when picking between interlaced and progressive scan types. Here are the most common ones and how to avoid them:

Using Interlaced for Web

To Fix This:

Always export your video in progressive before uploading to YouTube, Vimeo, or other social media platforms.

Mixing Scan Types in a Project

To Fix This:

Make sure you convert all clips to the same scan type (preferably progressive) before you start editing.

Ignoring Export Settings

To fix this:

Always check your settings and be sure the final file matches your editing format and where you will use it.

Can You Convert Interlaced to Progressive?

Yes, you can convert a video from an interlaced scan to a progressive scan format. This is done through a process called deinterlacing.

To put it simply, deinterlacing is the process of converting interlaced video into progressive video. Instead of showing two separate fields, deinterlacing combines them or fills in the missing lines to create full, smooth frames. As a result, it removes common problems like flickering, jagged edges, or the blurry "combing" effect you see in old footage.

This is especially important if you're working with videos from old camcorders, DVDs or TV broadcasts. Without deinterlacing, your video will look messy or out of place on today's digital screens. So, if you want your footage to look clean and professional, especially for editing or sharing online, deinterlacing is a must.

How to Convert Interlaced to Progressive Scanning

Here's a quick way to convert a video from an interlaced scan to progressive. Deinterlacing slightly alters video quality. These steps cover deinterlacing and restoring video quality using the VLC player and Wondershare Filmora.

Step 1

Play Video and Deinterlace in VLC
Open VLC Media Player and start playing your video, then pause it. Go to the top menu and click Video > Deinterlace, then select "On" or "Automatic." VLC will now apply deinterlacing in real time as the video plays.

Step 2

Import Video into Filmora
Open Wondershare Filmora and start a new project. Then, drag and drop your deinterlaced video into the Media Library, and place it on the timeline. This sets you up for editing and final export.

Step 3

Improve and Enhance in Filmora
Click on Export. Once you do that, a window will appear where you can increase the resolution, adjust the video codec, and file format of the video to suit your target device and audience.

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between progressive and interlaced scanning is essential if you want your videos to look clean, smooth, and professional. While interlaced scanning worked well in the past, today, progressive scanning is the better choice for digital screens and online platforms. If you're editing content for YouTube, social media, or streaming, using the right scanning format makes a big difference.

Filmora

AI Video Editing App & Software

Try It Free Try It Free