International Broadcast Standards Definitions

What is PAL?
PAL - (Phase Alternate Line): The name of a largely European 625 line / 50 Hz color television system in which the E'v component of burst is inverted in phase from one line to the next in order to minimize hue errors that may occur in color transmission.

PAL-B (also called PAL-1) is a similar color TV system featuring 625 lines per frame, 50 fields per second and a 4.4336187MHz sub-carrier. Used mainly in Europe, China, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and parts of Africa. PAL-M is a Brazilian color TV system with phase alternation by line, but using 525 lines per frame, 60 fields per second and a 3.57561149MHz sub-carrier.

What is PAL-M?
Brazilian version of "Phase Alternation Line" used only in Brazil. 525 Lines, 30 Frames per second.

PAL-M and standard PAL recordings are not interchangeable without conversion. It is a common practice to service Brazilian clients with NTSC recordings, as they usually prefer to convert in Brazil.

What is SECAM?
SECAM - Abbreviation of Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire (sequential color with memory). A color television system with 625 lines per frame and 50 fields per second developed by France and the former Soviet Republic. Color difference information is transmitted sequentially on alternate lines as an FM signal.

What is NTSC?
NTSC - (National Television Systems Committee): Organization that formulated standards for the NTSC television system. Describes the American system of color telecasting which is used mainly in North America, Japan and parts of South America. NTSC television is a 525 lines / 59.94 fields per second system, using a 3.57945MHz sub-carrier whose phase varies with the instantaneous hues of the televised color, and whose amplitude varies with the instantaneous saturation of the color. .

Color Television Broadcast Standards of the World

Click a country name to see which standard they use.

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