DVD Video Formats - PAL NTSC
Most countries around the World use one of three main television broadcast Standards. These three main standards
are PAL NTSC and SECAM. However, each standard is incompatible with the other.
For example, a Region Free DVD purchased in the UK will not play correctly on a US NTSC DVD player because the
DVD would be in the PAL video format. It is a common misconception that simply because a video format is digital,
as is the case of DVD's, it is no longer PAL or NTSC. All digital video formats, including DVD are still based on
the PAL or NTSC video systems.
Because SECAM has the same resolution and framerate as PAL, DVD's are not produced in SECAM. Instead, the DVD
player runs the disc in PAL and then just changes the color encoding to SECAM when outputting the signal back to
SECAM TV.
The charts below give a description of each standard and the technical variations within each. For a more in
depth look at the technical aspects of world television standards, take a look at Bevis King's excellent
Worldwide TV Standards - A Web Guide
| NTSC - National Television
System Committee |
The first colour TV broadcast system was implemented in the United States in 1953.
This was based on the NTSC - National Television
System Committee standard. NTSC is used by many countries
on the American continent as well as many Asian countries including Japan.
NTSC runs on 525 lines/frame. |
| SYSTEM |
NTSC M |
| Lines/Field |
525/60 |
| Horizantal Frequency |
15.734 kHz |
| Vertical Frequency |
60 Hz |
| Colour Subcarrier Frequency |
3.579545 MHz |
| Video Bandwidth |
4.2 MHz |
| Sound Carrier |
4.5 MHz |
| PAL - Phase Alternating
Line |
|
The PAL - Phase Alternating Line standard was
introduced in the early 1960's and implemented in most European countries except for
France.
The PAL standard utilises a wider channel bandwidth than NTSC which allows for better picture
quality.
PAL runs on 625 lines/frame.
|
| SYSTEM |
PAL B,G,H |
PAL I |
PAL D |
PAL N |
PAL M |
| Line/Field |
625/50 |
625/50 |
625/50 |
625/50 |
525/60 |
| Horizontal Frequency |
15.625 kHz |
15.625 kHz |
15.625 kHz |
15.625 kHz |
15.750 kHz |
| Vertical Frequency |
50 Hz |
50 Hz |
50 Hz |
50 Hz |
60 Hz |
| Colour Sub Carrier Frequency |
4.433618 MHz |
4.433618 MHz |
4.433618 MHz |
3.582056 MHz |
3.575611 MHz |
| Video Bandwidth |
5.0 MHz |
5.5 MHz |
6.0 MHz |
4.2 MHz |
4.2 MHz |
| Sound Carrier |
5.5 MHz |
6.0 MHz |
6.5 MHz |
4.5 MHz |
4.5 MHz |
| SECAM - Sequential Couleur
Avec Memoire |
The SECAM - Sequential Couleur
Avec Memoire or Sequential
Colour with Memory standard was introduced in the early
1960's and implemented in France. SECAM uses the same bandwidth as PAL but transmits the
colour information sequentially.
SECAM runs on 625 lines/frame. |
| SYSTEM |
SECAM B,G,H |
SECAM D,K,K1,L |
| Line/Field |
625/50 |
625/50 |
| Horizontal Frequency |
15.625 kHz |
15.625 kHz |
| Vertical Frequency |
50 Hz |
50 Hz |
| Video Bandwidth |
5.0 MHz |
6.0 MHz |
| Sound Carrier |
5.5 MHz |
6.5 MHz |
| 
