progressive scan

Illuminating a screen by displaying lines sequentially from top to bottom. Also called "non-interlaced," all modern computer monitors and digital TVs support progressive scan. For example, the "p" in 720p means that it displays 720 lines, one after the other, for each video frame. The highest progressive format in common use is 1080p.

Contrast with "interlace" or "interlaced," which illuminates every odd line first and then goes back and 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, frame rate, progressive scan DVD, progressive scan TV, HDTV, deinterlace and DTV.