PURPOSE: To attain interpolation in following correctly to movement by providing a moving direction detecting section, a background memory and an interpolation value forming section and utilizing the background memory selecting and storing only a back signal portion of the movement detection circuit and in the pattern so as to obtain an interleaved pattern from the present number and a pattern of the 2nd preceding number.

CONSTITUTION: In order to utilize a background picture signal obtained at the detection of moving direction, a pattern B is replaced at first with a content of the background memory, and then a cross point of a locus of an object is obtained based on the moving direction of each point between patterns AC and interpolation is applied. A picture signal is inputted intermittently at each other frame, and when a picture signal is inputted generally except a slight delay time, a switch 10 is thrown to the position of (b). An interpolated pattern one frame before the present input picture element is outputted during the period through the switch 10. The switch 10 is thrown to the position (a) at the next one frame period and the signal inputted at present is outputted with nearly one frame delay. Thus, a present input signal and an interpolation signal are obtained consecutively in the time direction interpolation circuit alternately.