Number of active lines - 405 line system.

[ppppenguin]

The modern way to describe a system gives the number of active lines rather than the total. The 720p HD standards have fewer active lines than the old French 819. Though progressive scan gives a higher apprarent vertical resolution than interlaced. I doubt that much, if any, new material is being shot at 720p.

The early American 343/60 system used about the same bandwidth as 405/50. One had less flicker, the other more vertical resolution.