WORLD TELEVISION SIGNAL GUIDE

The table below lists broadcast standards by country.

There are three main television standards used throughout the world.

NTSC - National Television Standards Committee

Developed in the US and first used in 1954, NTSC is the oldest existing broadcast standard. It consists of 525 horizontal lines of display and 60 vertical lines. Only one type exists, known as NTSC M. It is sometimes irreverently referred to as  Never Twice the Same Color. 

SECAM - Système Électronique pour Couleur avec Mèmoire.

Developed in France and first used in 1967. It uses a 625-line vertical, 50-line horizontal display. Different types use different video bandwidth and audio carrier specifications. Types B and D are usually used for VHF. Types G, H, and K are used for UHF. Types I, N, M, K1 and L are used for both VHF and UHF. These different types are generally not compatible with one another. SECAM is sometimes irreverently referred to as  Something Essentially Contrary to the American Method  or  SEcond Color Always Magenta. 

PAL - Phase Alternating Line

Developed in Germany and first used in 1967. A variant of NTSC, PAL uses a 625/50-line display. Different types use different video bandwidth and audio carrier specifications. Common types are B, G, and H. Less common types include D, I, K, N, and M. These different types are generally not compatible with one another. Proponents of PAL irreverently call it  Perfection At Last, while critics of its enormous circuit complexity call it  Pay A Lot  or "Picture Always Lousy.

Television Standards by Country