Video Standards
In order for you to watch a video your VCR must send an electronic signal to your television. This signal is based upon the AC (alternating current) power frequency in the country where you are viewing the tape. Here in America our power frequency is 60Hz. However, in many other countries the AC frequency is 50Hz. Therefore, we have different television standards around the world.
America 's television standard was developed under the guidance of the National Television Standards Committee, thus it is called NTSC. In most of Europe, Asia and Africa the power frequency is 50Hz so they developed 2 television standards that better suit the needs of these countries. One of the 50Hz Standards is PAL (Phase Alternating Lines) and the other is SECAM (SEquential Color Avec Memoir). While PAL is used in most of Europe and former territories of the British Empire SECAM is primarily used in France, Eastern Block and Middle Eastern Countries.
So what is the big deal?
Since video signals are transmitted electronically there are inherent differences between NTSC, PAL and SECAM. This begins with frame rates. NTSC has a frame rate of 30 frames per second (fps), while PAL and SECAM use 25fps. Thus, to transfer from one standard to the other there are problems that must be addressed. That is why we use a piece of equipment called a standards converter to transfer between PAL, SECAM and NTSC.
A standards converter adds or subtracts frames in order to transfer the video signal from one standard to another. Another piece of equipment known as a voice synchronizer adjusts the audio so that it matches the video being transferred.
Each country supports a published video standard, so depending on the source and destination of your video, standards conversion may be necessary.
World-wide Standards Chart
COUNTRY |
STANDARD |
Abu Dhabi |
PAL |
Afghanistan |
PAL |
Albania |
PAL |
Algeria |
PAL |
Andorra |
PAL |
Angola |
PAL |
Antarctica |
NTSC |
Antigua & Barbuda |
NTSC |
Antilles |
NTSC |
Argentina |
PAL-N |
Armenia |
SECAM |
Aruba |
NTSC |
Aryenuna |
PAL N |
Ascension Island |
PAL |
Australia |
PAL |
Austria |
PAL |
Azerbaijan |
SECAM |
Azores |
PAL |
Azores (US Forces TV) |
NTSC |
Bahamas |
NTSC |
Bahrain |
PAL |
Bangladesh |
PAL |
Barbados |
NTSC |
Barbuda |
NTSC |
Belarus |
SECAM |
Belgium |
PAL |
Belgium (US Forces TV) |
NTSC |
Belize |
NTSC |
Benin |
SECAM |
Bermuda |
NTSC |
Bhutan |
PAL |
Bolivia |
NTSC |
Bosnia-Herzegovina |
PAL |
Botswana |
PAL |
Brazil |
PAL-M |
British Virgin Islands |
NTSC |
Brunei Darussalam |
PAL |
Bulgaria |
SECAM |
Burkina Faso |
SECAM |
Burma |
NTSC |
Burundi |
SECAM |
Cambodia (Kampuchea) |
SECAM |
Cameroon |
SECAM |
Canada |
NTSC |
Canary Islands |
PAL |
Cape Verde |
PAL |
Cayman Islands |
NTSC |
Central African Republic |
SECAM |
Chad |
SECAM |
Channel Islands |
PAL |
Chile |
NTSC |
China |
PAL |
Christmas Island |
PAL |
Colombia |
NTSC |
Comoros |
SECAM |
Congo |
SECAM |
Cook Island |
PAL |
Corsica |
SECAM |
Costa Rica |
NTSC |
Crete |
PAL |
Croatia |
PAL |
Cuba |
NTSC |
Curacao |
NTSC |
Cyprus (Greek) |
SECAM |
Cyprus (Turkish) |
PAL |
Czech Republic (Nova) |
SECAM |
Czech Republic (CT1, CT2 & Prima) |
PAL |
Dahomey |
SECAM |
Denmark |
PAL |
Diego Garcia |
NTSC |
Djibouti |
SECAM |
Dominica |
NTSC |
Dominican Republic |
NTSC |
Dubai |
PAL |
East Timor |
PAL |
Easter Island |
PAL |
Ecuador |
NTSC |
Egypt |
SECAM |
El Salvador |
NTSC |
Equatorial Guinea |
SECAM |
Eritrea |
PAL |
Estonia |
SECAM |
Ethiopia |
PAL |
Falkland Islands |
PAL |
Fernando Po |
PAL |
Faeroe Islands |
PAL |
Fiji |
PAL |
Finland |
PAL |
France |
SECAM |
French Polynesia |
SECAM |
Gabon |
SECAM |
Galapagos Island |
NTSC |
Gambia |
PAL |
Gaza & West Bank |
PAL |
Georgia |
SECAM |
Germany (east) |
SECAM |
Germany (west) |
PAL |
Germany (US Forces TV) |
NTSC |
Ghana |
PAL |
Gibraltar |
PAL |
Greece |
SECAM |
Greenland |
PAL |
Greenland (US Forces TV) |
NTSC |
Grenada |
NTSC |
Guadeloupe |
SECAM |
Guam |
NTSC |
Guiana French |
SECAM |
Guatemala |
NTSC |
Guinea-Bissau |
PAL |
Guinea Republic |
PAL |
Guyana French |
SECAM |
Guyana Republic |
SECAM |
Haiti |
NTSC |
Hawaii |
NTSC |
Holland |
PAL |
Honduras |
NTSC |
Hong Kong |
PAL |
Hungary |
SECAM |
Iceland |
PAL |
India |
PAL |
Indonesia |
PAL |
Iran |
SECAM |
Iraq |
SECAM |
Ireland |
PAL |
Isle of Man |
PAL |
Israel |
PAL |
Italy |
PAL |
Ivory Coast |
SECAM |
Jamaicia |
NTSC |
Japan |
NTSC |
Johnston Islands |
NTSC |
Jordan |
PAL |
Kampuchea |
SECAM |
Kazakhstan |
SECAM |
Kenya |
PAL |
Kiribati |
PAL |
Korea (North) |
PAL |
Korea (South) |
NTSC |
Kuwait |
PAL |
Kyrgyzstan |
SECAM |
Laos |
PAL |
Latvia |
PAL |
Lebanon |
PAL |
Leeward Islands |
NTSC |
Lesotho |
PAL |
Liberia |
PAL |
Libya |
SECAM |
Liechtenstein |
PAL |
Lithuania |
PAL |
Luxembourg |
PAL |
Luxembourg French |
SECAM |
Macao |
PAL |
Macedonia |
PAL |
Madagascar |
SECAM |
Madeira |
PAL |
Malagasy |
SECAM |
Malawi |
PAL |
Malaysia |
PAL |
Maldives |
PAL |
Mali |
SECAM |
Mariana Islands |
NTSC |
Malta |
PAL |
Marshall Islands |
NTSC |
Martinique |
SECAM |
Mauritania |
SECAM |
Mauritius |
SECAM |
Mayotte |
SECAM |
Mexico |
NTSC |
Micronesia |
NTSC |
Midway Islands |
NTSC |
Moldova |
SECAM |
Monaco |
PAL |
Montenegro |
PAL |
Mongolia |
SECAM |
Montserrat |
NTSC |
Morocco |
SECAM |
Mozambique |
PAL |
Myanmar (Burma) |
NTSC |
Namibia |
PAL |
Nauru |
SECAM |
Nepal |
PAL |
Netherlands |
PAL |
Netherlands Antilles |
NTSC |
Netherlands (US Forces TV) |
NTSC |
New Caledonia |
SECAM |
New Guinea |
PAL |
New Zealand |
PAL |
Nicaragua |
NTSC |
Niger |
SECAM |
Nigeria |
PAL |
Norfolk Island |
PAL |
North Mariana Islands |
NTSC |
Norway |
PAL |
Okinawa |
NTSC |
Oman |
PAL |
Pakistan |
PAL |
Palau |
NTSC |
Panama |
NTSC |
Papua New Guinea |
PAL |
Paraguay |
PAL-N |
Peru |
NTSC |
Philippines |
NTSC |
Poland |
SECAM |
Poynesia French |
SECAM |
Portugal |
PAL |
Puerto Rico |
NTSC |
Qatar |
PAL |
Reunion |
SECAM |
Romania |
PAL |
Russia & CIS |
PAL |
Rwanda |
SECAM |
Saba and Sarawak |
PAL |
Saipan |
NTSC |
Samoa (US & Eastern) |
NTSC |
Samoa (Western) |
PAL |
San Marino |
PAL |
Sao Tome & Principe |
PAL |
Sardinia |
PAL |
Saudi Arabia |
SECAM |
Senegal |
SECAM |
Serbia |
PAL |
Seychelles |
PAL |
Sierra Leone |
PAL |
Singapore |
PAL |
Slovakia Republic |
SECAM |
Slovenia |
PAL |
Society Islands |
SECAM |
Somomon Islands |
PAL |
Somalia |
PAL |
South Africa |
PAL |
Spain |
PAL |
Sri Lanka |
PAL |
St. Christopher and Nevis |
NTSC |
St. Grenadine |
NTSC |
St. Helena |
NTSC |
St. Kitts |
NTSC |
St Lucia |
NTSC |
St. Martin |
PAL/SECAM/NTSC |
St Pierre Miquelon |
SECAM |
St. Thomas |
NTSC |
St Vincent |
NTSC |
Sudan |
PAL |
Surinam |
NTSC |
Swaziland |
PAL |
Sweden |
PAL |
Switzerland |
PAL |
Syria |
SECAM |
Tahiti |
SECAM |
Taiwan |
NTSC |
Tajikistan |
SECAM |
Tanzania |
PAL |
Thailand |
PAL |
Tibet |
PAL |
Togo |
SECAM |
Tonga |
PAL |
Trinidad & Tobago |
NTSC |
Tristian Da Cunah |
PAL |
Tunisia |
PAL |
Turkey |
PAL |
Turkmenistan |
SECAM |
Turks & Caicos Islands |
NTSC |
Uganda |
PAL |
Ukraine |
SECAM |
United Arab Emirates |
PAL |
United Kingdom of Great Britain |
PAL |
Upper Volta |
SECAM |
Uruguay |
PAL-N |
USA |
NTSC |
Uzbekistan |
SECAM |
Vanuatu |
PAL |
Vatican |
PAL |
Venezuela |
NTSC |
Vietnam |
NTSC |
Virgin Islands |
NTSC |
Wallis & Futuna Island |
SECAM |
Yemen |
PAL |
Yugoslavia |
PAL |
Zaire |
SECAM |
Zambia |
PAL |
Zanzibar |
PAL |
Zimbabwe |
PAL |
The solution:
Here at AMG we have the experience to take care of all your standards conversion needs. Whether it be reproducing a video from your vacation or a client in China who needs copies of your video, we can help.