Using "Z" Mod on a scope.

[ppppenguin]

If you think about it, Frank, 180 lines* it isn't much different from a 405/50 display with poor interlace!

There's an even more important point. Interlace only gives you a boost to vertical resolution for stationary pictures. As soon as thing start moving at any significant speed the resolution drops to the number of lines in each field. So for moving pictures the Baird 240 line system had better vertical resolution than the M-EMI 405 line system.

The Baird system had another advantage. 240/25p needed about half the bandwidth of 405/50i to give the same horizontal resolution. With early cameras etc struggling to get 3MHz BW this was a real benefit. Of course the 405 system had more space for improved kit to give better pictures. What we now call "future proofing".