WorldWide Television Video Formats
The world has developed 3 primary television video standards, PAL, NTSC & SECAM and a few derivatives of these formats including MeSecam.
The PAL (Phase Alternate Line) Standard was introduced in the early 60’s and was implemented in most European countries except for France. Australia uses a slightly modified version of the UK PAL system. The wider channel bandwidth of PAL (than NTSC) allows for better picture quality. PAL was designed to run at 625 lines per frame.
Developed in the USA in the 1950’s it was the first colour TV system implemented. NTSC (National Television System Committee standard). NTSC is used by many countries on the American continent as well as Japan and other Asian countries. NTSC was designed to run at 525 lines per frame.
The SECAM - Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire (Sequential Colour with Memory) standard introduced in the early 1960’s and was implemented in France. Secam uses the same bandwidth as PAL but transmits the colour signal sequentially. SECAM runs at 625 lines per frame.
Television video formats by country:
Select a country from our directory (A – C) (D – H) (I – L) (M – P) (Q – T) (U – Z)
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 | 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 |