What is the difference between PAL and NTSC video format?

PAL format is the kind of video standard they use in many European Countries. NTSC is the United States video standard and is also used in many other Countries like Japan for example. PAL has nothing to do with the actual videocassette...VHS is a world standard. PAL has to do with the output Hz of the local electric company therefore affecting the speed at which your TV will refresh/draw the screen. When in doubt, call a local TV repair shop and they will give you the correct choice to order...Hopefully they won't tell you to order Secam!!

Broadcasting System Details

Keep in mind this information is not intended to be the total authoritative source, in fact we ship to France all of the time sending PAL format and people are happy

Color and Broadcasting Systems by Country

Country	TV	Colour	Stereo	Subtitles
Albania	B/G	PAL
Argentina	N	PAL-N
Australia	B/G	PAL	FM-FM	Teletext
Austria	B/G	PAL	FM-FM	Teletext
Azores (Portugal)	B	PAL
Bahamas	M	NTSC
Bahrain	B	PAL
Barbados	M	NTSC
Belgium	B/G	PAL	Nicam	Teletext
Bermuda	M	NTSC
Brazil	N	PAL-N	MTS
Bulgaria	D	SECAM
Canada	M	NTSC	MTS	CC
Canary Is	B	PAL
China	D	PAL
Colombia	M	NTSC
Cyprus	B	PAL
Czechsolvakia	D/K	SECAM/PAL
Denmark	B	PAL	Nicam	TeleText
Egypt	B	SECAM
Faroe Islands (DK)	B	PAL
Finland	B/G	PAL	Nicam	TeleText
France	E/L	SECAM		Teletext
Gambia	I	PAL
Germany	B/G	PAL	FM-FM	TeleText
Germany (prev East)	B/G	SECAM/PAL
Gibraltar	B	PAL
Greece	B/H	SECAM
Hong Kong	I	PAL	Nicam
Hungary	B/G & D/K	PAL (was SECAM)	Nicam (Budapest only)
Iceland	B	PAL
India	B	PAL
Indonesia	B	PAL
Iran	H	SECAM
Ireland	I	PAL	Nicam	TeleText
Israel	B/G	PAL	Nicam	TeleText
Italy	B/G	PAL	FM/FM	TeleText
Jamaica	N	SECAM
Japan	M	NTSC	Matrix
Jordan	B	PAL
Kenya	B	PAL
Korea	M	NTSC
Luxembourg	B/G	PAL	NICAM	TeleText
Madeira	B	PAL
Madagascar	B	SECAM
Malaysia	B	PAL
Malta	B/G	PAL
Mauritius	B	SECAM
Mexico	M	NTSC	MTS	CC
Monaco	L/G	SECAM/PAL
Morocco	B	SECAM
Netherlands	B/G	PAL	FM-FM	TeleText
New Zealand	B/G	PAL	Nicam	TeleText
North Korea	D/K?	SECAM
Norway	B/G	PAL	Nicam
Pakistan	B	PAL
Paraguay	N	PAL
Peru	M	NTSC
Philipines	M	NTSC
Poland	D/K	PAL		Teletext
Portugal	B/G	PAL	Nicam	Teletext
Romania	G	PAL
Russia	D/K	SECAM
Saudi Arabia	B	SECAM
Seychelles	I	PAL
Singapore	B	PAL
South Africa	I	PAL
South Korea	M	NTSC
Spain	B/G	PAL	Nicam	Teletext
Sri Lanka	B/G	PAL
Sweden	B/G	PAL	Nicam	Teletext
Switzerland	B/G	PAL	FM-FM	TeleText
Tahiti	KI	SECAM
Taiwan	M	NTSC
Thailand	B	PAL
Trinidad	M	NTSC
Tunisia	B	SECAM
Turkey	B	PAL	-	TeleText
United Arab Emirates	B/G	PAL
United Kingdom	I	PAL	Nicam	TeleText
Uruguay	N	PAL	MTS
USA	M	NTSC	MTS	CC
Venezuela	M	NTSC
Yugoslavia	B/H	PAL
Zimbabwe	B	PAL

Technical Specifications

Code	Frames	Scan	Freq	Sound	Vision	In Use
Code	Frames	Lines	Band	Offset	Modulation	In Use
Terrestrial Transmission Standards
A	25	405	VHF	-3.5MHz	Pos	No
B	25	625	VHF	+5.5MHz	Neg	Yes
C	25	625	VHF	+5.5MHz	Pos	Yes
D	25	625	VHF	+6.5MHz	Neg	Yes
E	25	819	VHF	+11MHz	Neg	No
F	25	819	VHF	+5.5MHz	Pos	No
G	25	625	UHF	+5.5MHz	Neg	Yes
H	25	625	UHF	+5.5MHz	Neg	Yes
I	25	625	UHF	+6.0MHz	Neg	Yes
K	25	625	UHF	+6.5MHz	Neg	Yes
KI	25	625	UHF	+6.5MHz	Neg	Yes
L	25	625	UHF	+6.5MHz	Pos	Yes
M	30 (29.97)	525	VHF/UHF	+4.5MHz	Neg	Yes
N	25	625	VHF/UHF	+4.5MHz	Neg	Yes
Satellite Transmission Standards
Ku-Band	Any	Any	~11GHz	+6.50MHz	Neg	Yes
C-Band	Any	Any	~4GHz	+6.50MHz	Pos	Yes

Additional Features

Stereo Sound

MTS - Used in conjunction with NTSC/525. Consists of two independant carriers each carrying a discrete channel. One channel provides stereo sound by providing left/right channel difference signals relative to transmitted mono audio track. The second carrier carries the Secondary Audio Program (SAP) which is used for a second language or a descriptive commentary for the blind. Uses a technique based on the dbx noise reduction to improve the frequency response of the audio channel.
FM-FM - dual carrier FM coded discrete stereo transmissions, analogue. Can be used for bi-lingual operation under user selection, but no auto-selection is available. Audio characteristics better than standard mono soundtrack.
NICAM - (full name: NICAM 728) Digital two-channel audio transmissions with sub-code selection of bi-lingual operation. Stereo digital signals with specifications approaching those of Compact Disc are possible. NICAM stands for Near Instantaneously Companded Audio Multiplex and uses a 14bit sample at a 32KHz sampling rate which produces a data stream of 728KBits/sec.

Subtitling

CC - (full name: Closed Captioning) Transmitted on line 21 of NTSC/525 transmissions, contains subtitling information only. CC has no support for block graphics or multiple pages but it can support 8-colours and the use of an italic typeface. Frequently found on pre-recorded VHS cassettes and LDs, also used on broadcast. Also found on PAL/625 pre-recorded VHS cassettes in a modified version.
TeleText - An information service of 200-700 "pages" covering a wide range of topics including TV Schedules, News, Financial Market prices, Comment, Reviews, Concert & Theatre information. Subtitles are typically transmitted on page 888 in the UK, on pages 199/299/399 in Belgium and Holland, on page 150 in Germany and on page 777 in Italy. There are a number of variant character sets used, but the encoding is identical and all English alphabet characters plus numbers and most punctuation can be handled by any decoder. Includes support for 8 colours, and limited block graphics, and selective revealing of underlying TV picture. Transmitted on a variable number of lines (specified in header which contains basic information such as time, date and channel), starting on line 12 and continuing for 7-8 lines typically. Found on broadcasts and some LaserDiscs; recording of TeleText signals is marginal on S-VHS, almost impossible on VHS hence the PAL/625 version of CC.

The BBC-designed Teletext system is known in some quarters as World Standard Teletext. There is an enhanced version known as Fastext which defines four links to additional pages that can be followed with one of four coloured buttons on the Teletext receivers remote control. The U.S. "CC" is known widely in technical circles as LITO = LIne Twenty-One! where it lives.