I think it is... see it's not exactly the ipod, it's the backlight, it uses 4 LEDs, or at least I think so..
But ever notice how it 'fades' on and off? this is because the LEDs flash. Yes, they flash, at a bit faster rate than a CRT, I believe.
the trick is the faster they flash the more solid it looks, but for some reason it doesn't look quite right to me at full blast. Perhaps it's just the way it is with the backlighting (like how on old laptops it seemed like the liquid was moving around in the screen).
so I think it's more like your eyes are more sensitive to the refresh and that's what you're seeing. My eyes, though their vision isn't terrific or anything, can catch 'pulsing' on displays running at over 120hz!!!