Vertical scan rate is how many times per second a display completes a vertical image cycle, measured in hertz (Hz). It is also commonly called vertical refresh rate or simply refresh rate. The term comes from raster scanning, especially in CRT displays, but today it is useful to distinguish a display’s refresh behavior from the rate at which a video source supplies new frames.
What does vertical scan rate measure?
A raster image is made from horizontal lines. In a CRT, an electron beam scans across the screen one line at a time, moving from the top toward the bottom before beginning another image cycle. Vertical scan rate counts those completed screen-height cycles per second. Extron’s explanation of raster scanning distinguishes this vertical measure from the horizontal line-scanning measure: Scan Conversion: Making the Video Connection.
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Because the count is per second, the unit is hertz. A rate of 60 Hz means 60 vertical cycles each second. The familiar term “refresh rate” is often used for the same display quantity.
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How is it different from horizontal scan rate?
The two rates count different things. Horizontal scan rate counts how many horizontal line scans occur each second; it is commonly expressed in kilohertz (kHz). Vertical scan rate counts vertical image cycles per second and is expressed in hertz (Hz). One raster image cycle contains many horizontal line scans, so the figures describe related timing, not interchangeable rates.
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Is vertical scan rate the same as frame rate?
No. Refresh rate describes how often the display completes a refresh cycle; frame rate describes how often the source creates or supplies a new image frame. A display can refresh the same source frame more than once. For example, the source may provide fewer new frames per second than the display’s refresh rate, in which case some frames are shown across multiple refreshes. The term “vertical scan rate” is commonly used as a synonym for refresh rate, but it should not be mistaken for the source’s frame rate. See the overview of refresh rate for this terminology distinction.
What do interlaced scan figures mean?
In interlaced video, a complete picture is divided into two fields, traditionally drawing alternating sets of lines. A specification may therefore state a field rate rather than the number of complete frames per second. When quoting an interlaced rate, check whether the figure counts fields or full frames; the values are not interchangeable.
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The 2006 BICSI/InfoComm reference AVDRM-1 describes NTSC as 525 scan lines per frame, or 262.5 per interlaced field, and PAL/SECAM as 625 per frame, or 312.5 per field. These are historical video-standard examples, not current monitor recommendations. The reference discusses vertical scan rate in fields per second and distinguishes odd and even fields.
Historical video-standard examples
A historical NIJ guide gives 59.94 Hz as the NTSC vertical frequency, commonly rounded to 60 Hz in that guide, and 50 Hz for PAL and SECAM. These figures describe the regional video standards discussed in that guide; they should not be treated as universal settings for modern displays. The guide is Video Surveillance Equipment Selection and Application Guide, NIJ 201-99.
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How to read the term in a modern display specification
“Vertical scan rate” is rooted in the physical raster scanning used to explain CRT operation. Modern display specifications generally communicate supported refresh behavior; the term does not mean every display uses a CRT beam. When comparing a specification with a video source, keep three quantities separate:
- Horizontal scan rate: horizontal line scans per second, commonly in kHz.
- Vertical scan rate or refresh rate: completed display cycles per second, in Hz.
- Source frame rate: new frames supplied by the video source per second.
For interlaced material, also identify whether a stated vertical figure counts fields or complete frames. The BICSI/InfoComm reference is AVDRM-1, first edition, 2006.
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