A method for interpolating pixel data of an omitted line by use of pixel data from an interlaced scan, for de-interlacing an interlaced video image. Image edge direction is detected at the center position of every two neighboring scan lines in an interlaced scan. All the directions detected in a given field constitute an edge orientation map. Edge directions are filtered to remove false and unreliable edge directions from the edge orientation map. If an edge direction is removed, the vertical edge direction is used to replace that direction in the edge orientation map. For interpolating a new pixel at the center of two neighboring scan lines, the corresponding direction for that position is used as the interpolation direction to calculate the value of the new pixel. If the direction is vertical, a filter is used along the vertical direction to calculate the interpolation value. If the direction is non-vertical, and has an integer value, then interpolation is performed by taking the average of the two neighboring sample values along the direction. If the direction is non-vertical and has a non-integer value, then an interpolation value is calculated using a directional bilinear method.