What Is 2:3 Pulldown and Progressive Scan?

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2:3 pulldown is a technology that compensates for the different frame rates between film (24 frames per second) and TV (30 fps).

Progressive Scan is a technology that "paints" all of the TV picture in one fell swoop, rather than in two attempts. It makes for smoother viewing. That's why a 720P picture can actually look "better" than a 1080i picture, despite there being fewer "lines".

It's also why most progressive scan DVD players provide a better picture than a non-progressive scan player, provided you purchase a half decent one. If you buy a cheap player, the picture could actually be worse.

Go to THIS LINK for a more detailed explanation.

And, THIS LINK, which also explains 2:3 vs 3:2 designation. I prefer 2:3, since it makes more sense to me, but I'm not going to argue about it.


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(This FAQ was originally posted on HDTVoice)