480i

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480i is the shorthand name for a video mode. The i, which is sometimes uppercase, stands for interlaced, the 480 for a vertical frame resolution of 480 lines. The digitally transmitted horizontal resolution is usually 720 or 704 pixels with an aspect ratio of 4:3 and therefore a display resolution of 640 × 480 (VGA); that is standard-definition television (SDTV).

The field rate (not the frame rate) is usually (60/1.001 ≈) 59.94 hertz for color TV and can be rounded up to 60 Hz. There are several conventions for written shorthands for the combination of resolution and rate: 480i60, 480i/60 (EBU) and 480/60i. 480i is usually used in countries that conventionally use NTSC (North America, Japan), because the 525 transmitted lines at 60 hertz of analogue NTSC contain 480 visible ones. 480i can be transported by all major digital television formats, ATSC, DVB and ISDB. NTSC DVDs use 480i when high motion is desired, but for movies 24 progressive frames per second (480p) are used instead. The 480i resolution is used in most standard-definition TVs.

v • d • e

Digital Video Resolutions

Designation

Usage Examples	Definition (lines)	Rate (Hz)
		Interlaced (fields)	Progressive (frames)

Low; MP@LL

LDTV, VCD

240; 288 (SIF)

24, 30; 25

Standard; MP@ML

SDTV, SVCD, DVD, DV	480 (NTSC, PAL-M)	60	24, 30
SDTV, SVCD, DVD, DV	576 (PAL, SECAM)	50	25

Enhanced

EDTV

480; 576

60; 50

High; MP@HL

HDTV, HD DVD, BD, HDV	720		24, 30, 60; 25, 50
HDTV, HD DVD, BD, HDV	1080	50, 60	24, 30; 25

Image:Common Video Resolutions 2.svg

This table illustrates total horizontal and vertical pixel resolution via box size. It does not accurately reflect the screen shape (aspect ratio) of these formats, which is either 4:3, or 16:9.