World television guide
Type of television standard in each country
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 - 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.
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
|
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 |
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 TOMЙ E PRINCIPE |
PAL B/G |
|
SAMOA, AMERICAN
|
NTSC
|
|
SAUDI ARABIA
|
SECAM B/G, PAL B
|
|
SAMOA |
NTSC M |
|
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 |
|
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 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
|
|
YUGOSLAVIA |
PAL B/G |
|
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.html
|
