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WORLD TELEVISION GUIDE |
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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 - Système Électronique pour Couleur
avec Mémoire. 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.
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 TOMÉ 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 |
If you would like more
information on international video and television standards,
the excellent site at http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Contrib/WorldTV/
is highly recommended,
as
well as another one at http://www.tenlab.com/worldtv.htm
Help For World Travelers Home Page | World
Phone Guide |
World
Electric Guide |
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Internet Roaming |
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Phone Guide |
/tv.htm -- Updated
26 November 2006
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