ABSTRACT
Extraordinarily the Marconi system utilized interlace scanning and Baird’s method used, in effect, progressive scanning. It has taken 70 years for the world to realize that, in this respect, Baird was ahead of his time. Not only in that respect for he arguably invented color television, three-dimensional television and demonstrated both to the public, all this is well known and well documented but, sadly, forgotten by many. There were many other differences, the Marconi company thought the ideal format would be landscape, which is a rectangle that is wider than its height and they scanned it horizontally, and Baird initially thought much of television would be illustrated radio so initially his first format was portrait, a rectangle that is higher than it is wide, this being more suited to talking heads so he started by scanning his frame vertically, with a little curvature to the lines it has to be said. Later, when he moved to a 240-line format he also incorporated a 5 4 landscape aspect ratio.
