Full context:   Video can be interlaced or progressive. In progressive scan systems, each refresh period updates all scan lines in each frame, in sequence. When displaying a natively progressive broadcast or recorded signal, the result is the optimum spatial resolution of both the stationary and moving parts of the image. Interlacing was invented as a way to reduce flicker in early mechanical and CRT video displays, without increasing the number of complete frames per second. Interlacing retains detail while requiring lower bandwidth compared to progressive scanning.