A method for displaying pictures of a compressed video stream during playback mode operations comprising trick modes, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a compressed video stream (308, 310) that includes pictures encoded as interlaced fields; detecting a scan mode indicator in the compressed video stream, wherein the scan mode indicator indicates whether a progressive scan format was used during the original creation of the pictures; during a normal playback mode, displaying the pictures in accordance with an interlaced scan format; receiving a trick playback mode request; and implementing the requested trick playback mode by displaying both interlaced fields of an interlaced field pair, that during said original creation corresponded to the same picture, during a picture display interval if the scan mode indicator indicates that a progressive scan format was used during the original creation of the pictures, the displaying comprising: processing a first interlaced picture of the compressed video stream to detect whether both fields of the first interlaced picture corresponded to the same picture during said original creation, and, if not, processing a second interlaced picture of the compressed video stream and obtaining respective first and second fields from the first and second interlaced pictures, whereby the displayed interlaced field pair comprises a first field from the first interlaced picture of the compressed video stream and a second field from the second interlaced picture of the compressed video stream. receiving a compressed video stream (308, 310) that includes pictures encoded as interlaced fields; detecting a scan mode indicator in the compressed video stream, wherein the scan mode indicator indicates whether a progressive scan format was used during the original creation of the pictures; during a normal playback mode, displaying the pictures in accordance with an interlaced scan format; receiving a trick playback mode request; and implementing the requested trick playback mode by displaying both interlaced fields of an interlaced field pair, that during said original creation corresponded to the same picture, during a picture display interval if the scan mode indicator indicates that a progressive scan format was used during the original creation of the pictures, the displaying comprising: processing a first interlaced picture of the compressed video stream to detect whether both fields of the first interlaced picture corresponded to the same picture during said original creation, and, if not, processing a second interlaced picture of the compressed video stream and obtaining respective first and second fields from the first and second interlaced pictures, whereby the displayed interlaced field pair comprises a first field from the first interlaced picture of the compressed video stream and a second field from the second interlaced picture of the compressed video stream. processing a first interlaced picture of the compressed video stream to detect whether both fields of the first interlaced picture corresponded to the same picture during said original creation, and, if not, processing a second interlaced picture of the compressed video stream and obtaining respective first and second fields from the first and second interlaced pictures, whereby the displayed interlaced field pair comprises a first field from the first interlaced picture of the compressed video stream and a second field from the second interlaced picture of the compressed video stream.