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Vertical scan rate is the number of vertical image cycles a display completes each second, measured in hertz (Hz). It is also called vertical refresh rate or, more commonly, refresh rate. The term comes from CRT raster displays, but modern monitor specifications use refresh rate to describe supported display timing without implying that the screen draws a picture with a CRT beam.
What vertical scan rate measures
A CRT raster image is built from horizontal lines. The horizontal scan rate counts how many line scans occur each second; the vertical scan rate counts how many times the display completes a screen-height cycle. Extron describes horizontal scan rate in kilohertz and distinguishes it from the vertical rate, commonly stated in hertz. Extron’s scan-conversion overview explains the raster-scanning distinction.
In practical monitor specifications, a refresh rate in Hz indicates how often the display can refresh its image under the stated mode. The terminology originates in CRT operation, so it should not be read as a claim that every display technology physically scans a beam from top to bottom.
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Vertical scan rate, horizontal scan rate, and frame rate
| Measure | What it counts | Typical unit |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical scan rate (refresh rate) | Vertical image cycles per second | Hertz (Hz) |
| Horizontal scan rate | Horizontal line scans per second | Kilohertz (kHz) |
| Source frame rate | New frames supplied by the source each second | Frames per second (fps) |
Refresh rate and source frame rate are related, but they are not interchangeable. A display can refresh the same source frame more than once; therefore, a refresh-rate number alone does not tell you how often the source produces new image content. The refresh-rate reference describes this distinction alongside the use of “refresh rate” as a common synonym for vertical refresh rate. Refresh rate overview.
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How interlacing changes what “per second” means
In interlaced video, a complete picture is divided into two fields, one containing odd lines and the other even lines. A source may therefore express vertical timing in fields per second rather than complete frames per second. State which unit is meant whenever quoting a rate; a field rate should not be casually presented as a full-frame rate. The BICSI/InfoComm audiovisual reference discusses vertical scan rate in fields per second and distinguishes odd and even fields. AVDRM-1, first edition (2006).
For historical context, that 2006 reference gives 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 figures for the video standards described in the reference, not current guidance for choosing a computer monitor.
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Historical video-rate examples
A technical guide to surveillance video gives examples of 59.94 Hz vertical frequency for NTSC, often rounded there to 60 Hz, and 50 Hz for PAL and SECAM. Those figures describe regional video-standard examples in the guide, not universal modern monitor settings. NIJ 201-99, Video Surveillance Equipment Selection and Application Guide.
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