Interlaced resolutions are made up of 60 partial frames per second, and progressive resolutions are made up of 60 full frames per second.
Difference between 480i and 480p 480p#
When HDTV was just getting off the ground, there was a debate between 1080i and 720p as to which HD standard was "better" and IIRC 1080i was better for live sports since the image simply updated faster than 720p did. Is there a difference between 480i and 480p 480i stands for an interlaced resolution of 704×480, and 480p stands for a progressive scan resolution of 704×480. Computer monitors maybe, but those worked on a completely different standard.
![difference between 480i and 480p difference between 480i and 480p](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/a1c29aca-bbc3-404d-ad8e-007b021d9907.eea68d8025a328945078c57e6d3febcb.jpeg)
I don't think I saw a 480p television until the mid to late 90s. Television sets as created for most of the 20th century couldn't do a progressive signal. Doing it that way increased the (perceived) frame rate of the image since each half of the image was captured at different times. Odd lines as the beam travels top to bottom, even lines as it travels back up bottom to top. A CRT fires an electron gun at the screen, which creates an electron beam that travels across the screen lighting up RGB phosphors to make the image. Improper 240p is just 480i, and the image flickers up and down every refresh.
![difference between 480i and 480p difference between 480i and 480p](https://orca-photo.shopback.sg/SrLalEtU9zO0-izPSIigO-uCfMchN-d7Z8gAE1tvTvc/fill/292/292/no/1/aHR0cDovL2NmLnNo/b3BlZS5zZy9maWxl/LzczZmE4MjY4NTA1/ZmU1M2M1NzI2YmM0/OWFiYjBhNGM5.jpg)
Proper 240p adjusts the signal so it renders to the same scan lines every refresh. The simple answer to this is that CRT technology wasn't capable of a progressive image. I would argue the difference between 480i and 240p is that 480i alternates between odd and even scan lines, so the image shifts up and down a pixel each refresh. For Gamecube, 480p is amazing, but VERY expensive due to the cables. Edges become a jaggy mess on 480i whereas they hold together with 480p.
![difference between 480i and 480p difference between 480i and 480p](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XNIeyPAY-1A/maxresdefault.jpg)
It's like asking "why were there ever black and white TVs, everything should have been in color." A lot of the difference you'll notice between 480i and 480p is in motion.