I'm reading these wikipedia articles on progressive and interlaced video but its not getting through my hard head, I'm trying to figure out if 239x512 progressive or 478x512 interlaced is a better resolution and mode to output?
Also if you can explain how that affects memory it takes up and the bandwidth that would be cool too.
Should I include both options as CRT or HDTVs has something to do with it depending on which is played on which?
Yes, its a SNES qeustion.
I think this sums it up.
[img]http://cpn.canon-europe.com/files/education/technical/progressive_video/caption_002.jpg[/img]
This pretty much answers your question, but in anycase, the 239x512 is half of the 478x512. because only half of the frame is actually show, modern interlacing methods blend the two together, so the frame has half of the current and half of the next frame footage in it. It was used in television, to bypass the 24 FPS limit, and show fast action in greater detail, so the punches would not be completely blurred out. SO they go 48 FPS, by reducing the image quality, but at the same time, keeping the bandwitdh the same.
Now Progressive means, that they show the whole frame, so this wont happen.
[img]http://www.videonet.webspace.virginmedia.com/images/i_in1.jpg[/img]
But if you want to keep the higher framerate, you need more bandwith, so you either cap the bandwidth, cut down on resolution, reduce colors, or use different encoding methods.
Now, as for the screen part, the CRT TV does blur it out a bit more, on the HDTV, if looks like, well shit tbh. Unless you have really bad eyesight, then it looks all blurry and feels like when you played it, in your childhood.
Heres a great example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUZPex6Posk