progressive scan - technical definition

Illuminating a screen by displaying lines sequentially from top to bottom. Also called "non-interlaced," all modern computer display systems and many digital TV (DTV) formats support progressive scan. For example, 720p is an HDTV format that displays 720 lines of progressive scan signal (see HDTV).

Contrast with "interlace," which illuminates every odd line first and then fills in the even lines. Given the same frame rate, progressive scan displays twice as many lines on screen in the same time. See interlace, progressive scan DVD, progressive scan TV, deinterlace and DTV.