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 |
|