A method for motion compensated video interpolation, comprising the steps of: a) subdividing each field or frame of a sequence of video images into a plurality of blocks; b) determining at a motion estimator, for each block in a current video field or frame, a motion vector that produces a best match to a pixel data area in a previous video field or frame; c) forming a motion vector field for a current video field or frame using the thus determined best match vectors for each block; d) determining a first time instance at which an interpolated block in an interpolated video field or frame must be displayed; e) determining a second time instance at which the interpolated block in the interpolated field or frame will be created; f) interpolating video data for each block of the interpolated field or frame at its respective second time instance using the motion vector field comprising, for each interpolated block to be created: interpolating the position, at the second time instance, of a block in the current video field or frame along the path defined by the motion vector for that block; and interpolating between pixel values of the block in the current video field or frame and pixel values of the respective best match pixel data area in the previous video field or frame with a blend using the second time instance; g) combining interpolated blocks interpolated at respective second time instances into a frame or field for output h) outputting the interpolated frame or field for storage or display at the first time instance; wherein the second time instance is determined by applying a scale factor to the interval between the first time instance and a time instance of either the current or previous video field or frame, and the scale factor is variable within a predetermined range and is dependent upon the performance of the motion estimator. a) subdividing each field or frame of a sequence of video images into a plurality of blocks; b) determining at a motion estimator, for each block in a current video field or frame, a motion vector that produces a best match to a pixel data area in a previous video field or frame; c) forming a motion vector field for a current video field or frame using the thus determined best match vectors for each block; d) determining a first time instance at which an interpolated block in an interpolated video field or frame must be displayed; e) determining a second time instance at which the interpolated block in the interpolated field or frame will be created; f) interpolating video data for each block of the interpolated field or frame at its respective second time instance using the motion vector field comprising, for each interpolated block to be created: interpolating the position, at the second time instance, of a block in the current video field or frame along the path defined by the motion vector for that block; and interpolating between pixel values of the block in the current video field or frame and pixel values of the respective best match pixel data area in the previous video field or frame with a blend using the second time instance; g) combining interpolated blocks interpolated at respective second time instances into a frame or field for output h) outputting the interpolated frame or field for storage or display at the first time instance; <EOS>