WHAT IS NTSC AND PAL STANDARD?

Although VHS video format is the same throughout the World, the video standard or electronic signal that is recorded on the cassette varies from country to country. The two most common video standards used are NTSC and PAL.

NTSC is the video system or standard used in North America and most of South America. In NTSC, 30 frames are transmitted each second. Each frame is made up of 525 individual scan lines.

PAL is the predominant video system or standard mostly used overseas. In PAL, 25 frames are transmitted each second. Each frame is made up of 625 individual scan lines.

 

There are other format as follows:

NTSC: National Television System Committee. Developed in the USA, also used by other countries. Utilizing the USA power net 60Hz as refreshing frequency

PAL: Phase Alternation Line. Developed in Germany, also used by other countries. Utilizing the European power net 50Hz as refreshing frequency.

SECAM: Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire. Developed in France also used by other countries. Utilizing the European power net 50Hz as refreshing frequency.

MESECAM: Mediterranean SECAM, a SECAM sub-standard developed for use in the Middle East and still used by a few countries. TV reception and playback may be viewed with both PAL and SECAM TV sets.

PAL-60: A substandard of PAL used by some countries, utilizing 60Hz instead of 50Hz refreshing frequency.

NTSC 4.43: An NTSC substandard. Most modern playback machines are dual mode and will switch automatically between versions 3.XX and 4.XX. Older machines may require manual switching or an additional external converter.

 

 

Here is a list of the countries and there popular formats:

 

COUNTRY VHF UHF DVD REGIONS
AFGHANISTAN PAL/SECAM B  5
ALBANIA PAL B PAL G  2
ALGERIA PAL B PAL G  5
ANGOLA PAL I  5
ARGENTINA PAL N PAL N  4
AUSTRALIA PAL B PAL G  4
AUSTRIA PAL B PAL G  2
AZORES PAL B
BAHAMAS NTSC M  4
BAHRAIN PAL B PAL G  2
BANGLADESH PAL B  5
BARBADOS NTSC M  4
BELGIUM PAL B PAL H  2
BERMUDA NTSC M
BOLIVIA NTSC M NTSC M  4
BOTSWANA PAL I  5
BRAZIL PAL M PAL M  4
BRUNEI PAL B PAL B
BULGARIA SECAM D SECAM K  2
BURKINA FASO SECAM K1  5
BURMA NTSC M
BURUNDI SECAM K1  5
CAMBODIA NTSC M  3
CAMEROON PAL B PAL G  5
CANADA NTSC M NTSC M < 1
CANARY ISLANDS PAL B  2
CHAD SECAM K1  5
CHILE NTSC M NTSC M  4
CHINA PAL D  6
COLOMBIA NTSC M NTSC M  4
COSTA RICA NTSC M NTSC M  4
CROATIA PAL B PAL G  2
CUBA NTSC M NTSC M  4
CYPRUS PAL B< PAL G
CZECH REPUBLIC PAL D PAL K  2
DAHOMEY SECAM K1
DENMARK PAL B PAL G  2
DJIBOUTI SECAM B SECAM G  5
DOMINICAN REP NTSC M NTSC M  4
ECUADOR NTSC M NTSC M  4
EGYPT SECAM B/PAL B SECAM G/PAL G  2
EL SALVADOR NTSC M NTSC M  4
EQUAT. GUINEA PAL B  5
ESTONIA PAL B (was SECAM) PAL D  5
ETHIOPIA PAL B PAL G  5
FIJI PAL B
FINLAND PAL B PAL G  2
FRANCE SECAM L SECAM L  2
FRENCH POLYNESIA SECAM K1
GABON SECAM K1  5
GAMBIA PAL I  5
GERMANY PAL B PAL G  2
GHANA PAL B PAL G  5
GIBRALTAR PAL B PAL H  2
GREECE PAL B (was SECAM) PAL G  2
GREENLAND NTSC/PAL B  2
GUADELOUPE SECAM K1
GUAM NTSC M  1
GUATEMALA NTSC M NTSC M  4
GUINEA PAL K  5
GUYANA (FRENCH) SECAM K1  4
HONDURAS NTSC M NTSC M  4
HONG KONG PAL I  3
HUNGARY SECAM D/PAL SECAM K/PAL  2
ICELAND PAL B PAL G  2
INDIA PAL B  5
INDONESIA PAL B PAL G  3
IRAN SECAM B SECAM G  2
IRAQ SECAM B  2
IRELAND PAL I PAL I  2
ISRAEL PAL B PAL G  2
ITALY PAL B PAL G  2
IVORY COAST SECAM K1  5
JAMAICA NTSC M  4
JAPAN NTSC M NTSC M  2
JORDAN PAL B PAL G  2
KENYA PAL B PAL G  5
KOREA NORTH PAL  5
KOREA SOUTH NTSC M NTSC M  3
KUWAIT PAL B  2
LATVIA PAL D (was SECAM) PAL K  5
LEBANON SECAM B SECAM G  2
LIBERIA PAL B PAL H  5
LIBYA SECAM B SECAM G  5
LITHUANIA PAL D (was SECAM) PAL K  5
LUXEMBOURG PAL B/SECAM L PAL G/SEC L  2
MADAGASCAR SECAM K1  5
MADEIRA PAL B
MALAGASY SECAM K1
MALAWI PAL B PAL G  5
MALAYSIA PAL B  3
MALI SECAM K1  5
MALTA PAL B PAL H  2
MARTINIQUE SECAM K1
MAURITANIA SECAM B  5
MAURITIUS SECAM B  5
MEXICO NTSC M NTSC M  4
MONACO SECAM L  2
MONGOLIA SECAM D  5
MOROCCO SECAM B  5
MOZAMBIQUE PAL B  5
NAMIBIA PAL I  5
NEPAL PAL B
NETHERLANDS PAL B PAL G  2
NETH. ANTILLES NTSC M NTSC M
NEW CALEDONIA SECAM K1
NEW GUINEA PAL B PAL G  4
NEW ZEALAND PAL B PAL G  4
NICARAGUA NTSC M NTSC M  4
NIGER SECAM K1  5
NIGERIA PAL B PAL G  5
NORWAY PAL B PAL G  2
OMAN PAL B PAL G  2
PAKISTAN PAL B  5
PANAMA NTSC M NTSC M  4
PARAGUAY (was PAL N) NTSC M (was PAL N) NTSC M  4
PERU NTSC M NTSC M  4
PHILIPPINES NTSC M NTSC M  3
POLAND PAL D PAL K  2
PORTUGAL PAL B PAL G  2
PUERTO RICO NTSC M NTSC M  1
QATAR PAL B  2
REUNION SECAM K1
RUMANIA PAL D PAL K  2
RUSSIA SECAM D SECAM K  5
RWANDA SECAM K1  5
SABAH/SAWARA PAL B
ST. KITTS NTSC M NTSC M
SAMOA (US) NTSC M  1
SAUDI ARABIA SECAM-B/PAL-B SECAM G  2
SENEGAL PAL  5
SEYCHELLES PAL B PAL G  5
SIERRA LEONE PAL B PAL G  5
SINGAPORE PAL B PAL G
SLOVAK REPUBLIC PAL PAL  2
SOMALIA PAL B PAL G  5
SOUTH AFRICA PAL I PAL I  2
SPAIN PAL B PAL G  2
SRI LANKA PAL B  5
SUDAN PAL B PAL G  5
SURINAM NTSC M NTSC M  4
SWAZILAND PAL B PAL G
SWEDEN PAL B PAL G  2
SWITZERLAND PAL B PAL G  2
SYRIA SECAM B  2
TAHITI SECAM K1
TAIWAN NTSC M NTSC M  3
TANZANIA PAL B PAL B  5
THAILAND PAL B  3
TOGO SECAM K  5
TRINIDAD TOBAGO NTSC M NTSC M  4
TUNISIA SECAM B  5
TURKEY PAL B PAL G
UGANDA PAL B PAL G  5
UKRAINE PAL / SECAM D-K  5
UNITED ARAB EMIR. PAL B PAL G  2
UNITED KINGDOM PAL I  2
UPPER VOLTA SECAM K1
URUGUAY PAL N PAL N  4
USA NTSC M NTSC M  1
VENEZUELA NTSC M NTSC M  4
VIETNAM PAL B PAL G  3
YEMEN PAL B  2
YUGOSLAVIA PAL B PAL G  2
ZAIRE SECAM K1
ZAMBIA PAL B PAL G  5
ZIMBABWE PAL B PAL G  5

 

 

Leave a Reply