World Television Standards
The table below shows the type of television broadcast standard
used in most countries around the world.
There are currently 3 main
television standards used throughout the world:
NTSC -
National Television Standards
Committee. The oldest existing standard, developed in the USA.
First used in 1954. Consists of 525 horizontal lines of display and 60 vertical
lines. Sometimes irreverently referred to as "Never
Twice the Same
Color." Only one type exists, known as NTSC M.
SECAM - also written SÉCAM (Séquentiel Couleur à Mémoire, French for "Sequential Color with Memory"), . Developed in France. First used
in 1967. A 625-line vertical, 50-line horizontal display. Sometimes referred to
by wags as "Something Essentially
Contrary to the American
Method" or SEcond Colour Always
Magenta!" Different types use different video bandwidth and
audio carrier specs. Types B and D usually used for VHF; types G, H, and K
for UHF; types I, N, M, K1 and L for both VHF/UHF. Different types are generally
not compatible.
PAL -
Phase Alternating Line.
Developed by German engineer Walter Bruch and the German electronic corporation
Telefunken. Walter Bruch
patented his invention 1963 and the first commercial
application of the PAL system was in August 1967. Also a 625/50-line
display and variant of NTSC. Proponents call it "Perfection
At Last." Due to the cost of the
enormous circuit complexity, critics often refer to it as "Pay
A Lot," and engineering students may hear it introduced as
"Picture Always Lousy." Different types use
different video bandwidth and audio carrier specs. Common types are B, G
and H; less common types include D, I, K, N and M. The different types are
generally not compatible.
Television Standards
by Country
COUNTRY |
SIGNAL TYPE |
AFGHANISTAN |
PAL B,
SECAM B |
|
ALBANIA |
PAL
B/G |
|
ALGERIA |
PAL
B/G |
ANGOLA |
PAL
I |
ANTARCTICA |
NTSC
M |
|
ANTIGUA &
BARBUDA |
NTSC
M |
|
ARGENTINA |
PAL
N |
ARMENIA |
SECAM
D/K |
|
ARUBA |
NTSC
M |
|
AUSTRALIA |
PAL
B/G |
|
AUSTRIA |
PAL
B/G |
AZERBAIJAN |
SECAM
D/K |
AZORES |
PAL
B |
|
BAHAMAS |
NTSC
M |
|
BAHRAIN |
PAL
B/G |
|
BANGLADESH |
PAL
B |
|
BARBADOS |
NTSC
M |
BELARUS |
SECAM
D/K |
|
BELGIUM |
PAL
B/H |
BELGIUM
(ARMED FORCES NETWORK) |
NTSC
M |
|
BELIZE |
NTSC
M |
BENIN |
SECAM
K |
|
BERMUDA |
NTSC
M |
|
BOLIVIA |
NTSC
M |
|
BOSNIA/HERZEGOVINA |
PAL
B/H |
BOTSWANA |
SECAM K,
PAL I |
|
BRAZIL |
PAL
M |
BRITISH
INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY
(AF DIEGO GARCIA TV -
AFRTS) |
NTSC
M |
|
BRUNEI
DARUSSALAM |
PAL
B |
|
BULGARIA |
PAL |
BURKINA
FASO |
SECAM
K |
BURUNDI |
SECAM
K |
| CAMBODIA |
PAL B/G, NTSC M |
CAMEROON |
PAL
B/G |
|
CANADA |
NTSC
M |
|
CANARY
ISLANDS |
PAL
B/G |
CENTRAL
AFRICAN REPUBLIC |
SECAM
K |
CHAD |
SECAM
D |
|
CHILE |
NTSC
M |
|
CHINA (PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC) |
PAL
D |
|
COLOMBIA |
NTSC
M |
CONGO
(PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC) |
SECAM
K |
|
CONGO, DEM. REP.
(ZAIRE) |
SECAM
K |
COOK
ISLANDS |
PAL
B |
|
COSTA RICA |
NTSC
M |
COTE D'IVOIRE (IVORY COAST)
|
SECAM K/D |
|
CROATIA |
PAL
B/H |
|
CUBA |
NTSC
M |
|
CYPRUS |
PAL
B/G |
|
CZECH
REPUBLIC |
PAL B/G (cable), PAL
D/K (broadcast) |
|
DENMARK |
PAL
B/G |
DIEGO
GARCIA |
NTSC
M |
DJIBOUTI |
SECAM
K |
|
DOMINICA |
NTSC
M |
|
DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC |
NTSC
M |
|
EAST
TIMOR |
PAL
B |
EASTER
ISLAND |
PAL
B |
|
ECUADOR |
NTSC
M |
|
EGYPT |
PAL B/G, SECAM
B/G |
|
EL
SALVADOR |
NTSC
M |
EQUITORIAL GUINEA |
SECAM
B |
ESTONIA |
PAL
B/G |
ETHIOPIA |
PAL
B |
FALKLAND
ISLANDS (LAS MALVINAS) |
PAL
I |
FIJI |
NTSC
M |
|
FINLAND |
PAL
B/G |
|
FRANCE |
SECAM
L |
FRANCE
(FRENCH FORCES TV) |
SECAM
G |
GABON |
SECAM
K |
GALAPAGOS
ISLANDS |
NTSC
M |
GAMBIA |
PAL
B |
GEORGIA |
SECAM
D/K |
|
GERMANY |
PAL
B/G |
GERMANY
(ARMED FORCES TV GERMANY) |
NTSC
M |
|
GHANA |
PAL
B/G |
|
GIBRALTAR |
PAL
B/G |
|
GREECE |
PAL
B/G |
|
GREENLAND |
PAL
B |
|
GRENADA |
NTSC
M |
|
GUAM |
NTSC
M |
GUADELOUPE |
SECAM
K |
|
GUATEMALA |
NTSC
M |
GUIANA
(FRENCH) |
SECAM
K |
GUINEA |
PAL
K |
GUYANA |
NTSC
M |
|
HAITI |
SECAM |
|
HONDURAS |
NTSC
M |
|
HONG KONG |
PAL
I |
|
HUNGARY |
PAL
K/K |
|
ICELAND |
PAL
B/G |
|
INDIA |
PAL
B |
|
INDONESIA |
PAL
B |
|
IRAN |
PAL
B/G |
|
IRAQ |
PAL |
|
IRELAND, REPUBLIC
OF |
PAL
I |
|
ISLE OF
MAN |
PAL |
|
ISRAEL |
PAL
B/G |
|
ITALY |
PAL
B/G |
|
JAMAICA |
NTSC
M |
|
JAPAN |
NTSC
M |
JOHNSTONE
ISLAND |
NTSC
M |
|
JORDAN |
PAL B/G
|
KAZAKHSTAN |
SECAM
D/K |
|
KENYA |
PAL
B/G |
|
KOREA
(NORTH) |
SECAM D, PAL
D/K |
|
KOREA
(SOUTH) |
NTSC
M |
|
KUWAIT |
PAL
B/G |
KYRGYZ
REPUBLIC |
SECAM
D/K |
LAOS |
PAL
B |
LATVIA |
PAL
B/G |
|
LEBANON |
PAL
B/G |
LESOTHO |
PAL
K |
|
LIBERIA |
PAL
B/H |
|
LIBYA |
PAL
B/G |
|
LIECHTENSTEIN |
PAL
B/G |
LITHUANIA |
PAL B/G,
SECAM D/K |
|
LUXEMBOURG |
PAL B/G, SECAM
L |
MACAU |
PAL
I |
MACEDONIA |
PAL
B/H |
MADAGASCAR |
SECAM
K |
MADEIRA |
PAL
B |
|
MALAYSIA |
PAL
B |
MALDIVES |
PAL
B |
MALI |
SECAM
K |
|
MALTA |
PAL
B |
MARSHALL
ISLANDS |
NTSC
M |
|
MARTINIQUE |
SECAM
K |
MAURITANIA |
SECAM
B |
|
MAURITIUS |
SECAM
B |
MAYOTTE |
SECAM
K |
|
MEXICO |
NTSC
M |
|
MICRONESIA |
NTSC
M |
MIDWAY
ISLAND |
NTSC
M |
MOLDOVA
(MOLDAVIA) |
SECAM
D/K |
|
MONACO |
SECAM L, PAL
G |
MONGOLIA |
SECAM
D |
MONTENEGRO |
PAL
B/G |
MONTSERRAT |
NTSC
M |
|
MOROCCO |
SECAM
B |
MOZAMBIQUE |
PAL
B |
|
MYANMAR
(BURMA) |
NTSC
M |
NAMIBIA |
PAL
I |
NEPAL |
B |
|
NETHERLANDS |
PAL
B/G |
NETHERLANDS (ARMED FORCES NETWORK) |
NTSC
M |
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES |
NTSC
M |
NEW
CALEDONIA |
SECAM
K |
|
NEW
ZEALAND |
PAL
B/G |
|
NICARAGUA |
NTSC
M |
NIGER |
SECAM
K |
|
NIGERIA |
PAL
B/G |
NORFOLK
ISLAND |
PAL
B |
NORTH
MARIANA ISLANDS |
NTSC
M |
|
NORWAY |
PAL
B/G |
|
OMAN |
PAL
B/G |
|
PAKISTAN |
PAL
B |
PALAU |
NTSC
M |
|
PANAMA |
NTSC
M |
PAPUA NEW
GUINEA |
PAL
B/G |
PARAGUAY |
PAL
N |
|
PERU |
NTSC
M |
|
PHILIPPINES |
NTSC
M |
|
POLAND |
PAL
D/K |
POLYNESIA
(FRENCH) |
SECAM
K |
|
PORTUGAL |
PAL
B/G |
|
PUERTO
RICO |
NTSC
M |
|
QATAR |
PAL
B |
REUNION |
SECAM
K |
|
ROMANIA |
PAL
D/G |
|
RUSSIA |
SECAM
D/K |
|
ST. KITTS &
NEVIS |
NTSC
M |
|
ST.
LUCIA |
NTSC
M |
ST.
PIERRE ET MIQUELON |
SECAM
K |
|
ST.
VINCENT |
NTSC
M |
SAO TOM?E
PRINCIPE |
PAL
B/G |
|
SAMOA,
AMERICAN |
NTSC |
|
SAUDI
ARABIA |
SECAM B/G, PAL
B |
SAMOA |
NTSC
M |
|
SENEGAL |
SECAM
K |
SERBIA |
PAL
B/G |
SEYCHELLES |
PAL
B/G |
|
SIERRA
LEONE |
PAL
B/G |
|
SINGAPORE |
PAL
B/G |
SLOVAKIA |
PAL
B/G |
SLOVENIA |
PAL
B/H |
SOMALIA |
PAL
B/G |
|
SOUTH
AFRICA |
PAL
I |
|
SPAIN |
PAL
B/G |
SRI LANKA |
PAL |
|
SUDAN |
PAL
B |
|
SURINAME |
NTSC
M |
SWAZILAND |
PAL
B/G |
|
SWEDEN |
PAL
B/G |
|
SWITZERLAND |
PAL B/G (GERMAN
ZONE), SECAM L (FRENCH ZONE) |
SYRIA |
SECAM B,
PAL G |
|
TAHITI |
SECAM |
|
TAIWAN |
NTSC |
TAJIKISTAN |
SECAM
D/K |
|
TANZANIA |
PAL
B |
|
THAILAND |
PAL
B/M |
|
TOGO |
SECAM
K |
|
TRINIDAD &
TOBAGO |
NTSC
M |
|
TUNISIA |
SECAM
B/G |
|
TURKEY |
PAL
B |
TURKMENISTAN |
SECAM
D/K |
TURKS & CAICOS
ISLANDS |
NTSC
M |
|
UGANDA |
PAL
B/G |
|
UKRAINE |
SECAM
D/K |
URUGUAY |
PAL
N |
|
UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES |
PAL
B/G |
|
UNITED
STATES |
NTSC
M |
|
UNITED
KINGDOM |
PAL
I |
UZBEKISTAN |
SECAM
D/K |
|
VENEZUELA |
NTSC
M |
|
VIETNAM |
NTSC M,SECAM
D |
|
VIRGIN ISLANDS (US &
BRITISH) |
NTSC
M |
WALLIS & FUTUNA |
SECAM
K |
|
YEMEN |
PAL B/NTSC
M |
|
ZAMBIA |
PAL
B/G |
|
ZIMBABWE |
PAL
B/G |
|
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