| There are two TV video
standards, PAL (Phase Alternating Line) and NTSC (National Television
System Committee). NTSC is used mainly in North America, Japan, Mexico
and Canada, and PAL is used almost everywhere else in the world
including Australia and NZ. NTSC has a resolution of 352 x 240, and PAL
has a video resolution of 352 X 288. PAL generates 25 full frames per
second with 635 lines per frame while NTSC produces 30 frames a second
with 525 scan lines per frame. Due to screen interlacing (in which all
the odd lines and then all the even lines of the frame are presented),
the vertical scan frequencies for PAL are 50Hz (50 scans per second) and
60Hz for NTSC. This basically means that the NTSC system sacrifices
video clarity to minimize flicker, while PAL accepts more flicker to
gain an improvement in clarity.
A PAL signal can not be replayed on an NTSC only TV, and conversely an
NTSC signal can not be replayed on a PAL only TV. However many current
TV’s, DVD & Video Players are both PAL and NTSC compatible and can
display both types of video. Please check your TV manual, or with the
manufacturer, if in doubt.
Check your Country…
The following countries use the PAL standard
|
Afghanistan |
Holland |
Portugal |
|
Albania |
Hong Kong |
Qutar |
|
Algeria |
Iceland |
Romania |
|
Angola |
India |
Singapore |
|
Argentina |
Indonesia |
Somalia |
|
Australia |
Ireland |
South Africa |
|
Austria |
Israel |
S.W. Africa |
|
Azores |
Italy |
Spain |
|
Baharain |
Jordan |
Sri Lanka |
|
Bangladesh |
Kenya |
Sudan |
|
Belgium |
Kuwait |
Swaziland |
|
Botswana |
Laos |
Sweden |
|
Brazil |
Liberia |
Switzerland |
|
Brunei |
Madeire |
Tanzania |
|
Cameroon |
Malaysia |
Thailand |
|
Canary Islands |
Malta |
Turkey |
|
Cyprus |
Mozambique |
Uganda |
|
Denmark |
Nepal |
United Arab Emirates |
|
Dubai |
New Guinea |
United Kingdom |
|
England |
New Zealand |
Uruguay |
|
Ethiopia |
Nigeria |
West Germany |
|
Faeroe Islands |
North Korea |
Yemen |
|
Finland |
Norway |
Yugoslavia |
|
Ghana |
Oman |
Zambia |
|
Gibraltar |
Pakistan |
Zimbabwe |
|
Guinea |
Paraguay |
|
|
Greenland |
Poland |
|
The following countries use the NTSC
standard
|
Antigua |
El Salvador |
Philippines |
|
Bahamas |
Ecuador |
Puerto Rico |
|
Barbados |
Guam |
Saipan |
|
Barbuda |
Guatemala |
Samoa |
|
Belize |
Haiti |
South Korea |
|
Bermuda |
Honduras |
Saint Kitts |
|
Bolivia |
Jamaica |
Saint Lucia |
|
Burma |
Japan |
Saint Vincent |
|
Cambodia |
Mexico |
Surinam |
|
Canada |
Midway Islands |
Taiwan |
|
Cayman Islands |
Netherlands |
Antilles Tobago |
|
Chile |
Nicaragua |
Trinidad |
|
Colombia |
North Mariana Island |
United States |
|
Costa Rica |
Panama |
Venezuela |
|
Cuba |
Peru |
Virgin Islands |
|
