# Buying a DVD Player: Progressive Scan?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-dvd-player-progressive-scan/83590>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 25, 2001, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-dvd-player-progressive-scan/83590 "2001-09-25T00:06:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JFMichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/aeb1de/32.png) [@JFMichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFMichael)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-dvd-player-progressive-scan/83590/1 "2001-09-25T00:06:35Z")

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I have not been able to find the answer to this question anywhere. Does having a dvd player with progressive scan improve picture quality even if it is _not_ hooked up to an HDTV? I plan on using my regular old TV’s S-Video input; does progressive scan make any difference with this hookup, or does it only matter if I have an HDTV?

I am strongly considering the Samsung DVD-N501: [http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11064099&m=1&cat=32&scat=244](http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11064099&m=1&cat=32&scat=244) because it has the features I want. Does anyone have any experience or comments on this player, or any other advice when buying a DVD player?

Thank you very much.

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**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-a-dvd-player-progressive-scan/83590/2 "2001-09-25T00:16:35Z")

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Short answer: No. A progressive-scan DVD player is still putting out an interlaced image through your S-video connection. If you want a progressive-scan picture, you need to use the component video outputs and connect them to a progressive-scan display.

I have a front-projection home theater with a 110" diagonal screen. On a screen that size, the difference between progressive-scan and interlaced is very apparent. But if you just have a normal TV and sit a normal distance from it, I doubt you’d be able to tell much of a difference between progressive and interlaced anyway.