World TV Guide

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”. 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
GUADELOUPE SECAM K
GUAM NTSC M
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 SECAM 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, SECAM D/K
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
MONTSERRAT NTSC M
MOROCCO SECAM B
MOZAMBIQUE PAL B
MYANMAR (BURMA) NTSC M
NAMIBIA PAL I
NEPAL PAL 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
SAMOA NTSC M
SAMOA, AMERICAN NTSC
SAO TOMÉ E PRINCIPE PAL B/G
SAUDI ARABIA SECAM B/G, PAL B
SENEGAL SECAM K
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
ST. KITTS & NEVIS NTSC M
ST. LUCIA NTSC M
ST. PIERRE ET MIQUELON SECAM K
ST. VINCENT NTSC M
SUDAN PAL B
SURINAME NTSC M
SWAZILAND PAL B/G
SWEDEN PAL B/G
SWITZERLAND PAL B/G
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
UGANDA PAL B/G
UKRAINE SECAM D/K
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PAL B/G
UNITED KINGDOM PAL I
UNITED STATES NTSC M
URUGUAY PAL N
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
YUGOSLAVIA PAL B/G
ZAMBIA PAL B/G
ZIMBABWE PAL B/G