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NTSC, PAL and SECAM Information
Most countries of the world use TV Standards that are incompatible with other countries. For example, a video recording made in Germany could not be played back on an American standard VCR or shown on the American TV. There are three main world standards and the rest are minor branches of these main systems. The systems are NTSC, PAL, SECAM. The charts below give a description of each standard and the technical variations within them.

NTSC:
The first colour TV broadcast system was implemented in the United States in 1953. This was based on the NTSC (National Television System Committee) standard. NTSC is used by many countries on the American continent as well as many Asian countries including Japan. NTSC runs on 525 lines/frame.
PAL:
The PAL (Phase Alternating Line) standard was introduced in the early 1960's and implemented in most European countries except for France. The PAL standard utilises a wider channel bandwidth than NTSC which allows for better picture quality. PAL runs on 625 lines/frame.
SECAM:
The SECAM (Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire or Sequential Colour with Memory) standard was introduced in the early 1960's and implemented in France. SECAM uses the same bandwidth as PAL but transmits the colour information sequentially. SECAM runs on 625 lines/frame.

World Broadcast
Systems Chart

COUNTRY VHF TUNER UHF TUNER

Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Antigua
Armenia
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan SECAM (D)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
PAL (I)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (D)
PAL (CN)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
SECAM (D)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)
PAL (I)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (K)
PAL (CN)
PAL (B)
PAL (G)
SECAM (K)

Bahamas
Barbados
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Benin
Bermuda
Boliva
Bosnia / Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burma
Burundi NTSC (M)
NTSC (M)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
SECAM (D)
PAL (B)
SECAM (K1)
NTSC (M)
NTSC (M)
PAL (B)
PAL (I)
PAL (M)
PAL (B)
SECAM (D)
SECAM (K1)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (K1)
PAL (G)

PAL (H)
SECAM (K1)
NTSC (M)
PAL (G)
PAL (I)
PAL (M)
SECAM (K)
SECAM (K1)
SECAM (K1)

Cameroon
Canada
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Comoros
Congo
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic PAL (B)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (K1)
SECAM (K1)
NTSC (M)
PAL (D)
NTSC (M)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (K1)
SECAM (K1)
PAL (B)
NTSC (M)
NTSC (M)
PAL (B)
SECAM (D) PAL (G)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (K1)
SECAM (K1)
NTSC (M)
PAL (D)
NTSC (M)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (K1)
SECAM (K1)
PAL (G)
NTSC (M)
NTSC (M)
PAL (G)
SECAM (K)

Denmark
Djibouti
Dominican Republic PAL (B)
SECAM (B)
NTSC (M) PAL (G)
NTSC (M)

Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Ethiopia
Equatorial Guinea NTSC (M)
PAL (B)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (D)
PAL (B)
PAL (B) NTSC (M)
PAL (G)
SECAM (K)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)

Faeroe Islands
Finland
France PAL (B)
PAL (B)
SECAM (L) PAL (G)
PAL (G)
SECAM (L)

Gabon
Gambia
Germany
Georgia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Guam
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau SECAM (K1)
PAL (I)
PAL (B)
SECAM (D)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
SECAM (B)
PAL (B)
NTSC (M)
NTSC (M)
PAL (I)
PAL (I) SECAM (K1)
PAL (I)
PAL (G)
SECAM (K)
PAL (B)
PAL (G)
SECAM (G)
PAL (G)
NTSC (M)
PAL (I)
PAL (I)

Hong Kong
Honduras
Hungary
NTSC (M)
SECAM (D) PAL (I)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (K)

Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy PAL (B)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
SECAM (B)
SECAM (B)
PAL (I)
PAL (B)
PAL (B) PAL (G)

SECAM (G)
SECAM (G)
PAL (I)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)

Jamaica
Japan
Jordan NTSC (M)
NTSC (M)
PAL (B) NTSC (M)
NTSC (M)
PAL (G)

Kazakhstan
Kenya
Korea (north)
Korea (south)
Kuwait SECAM (D)
PAL (B)
PAL (D)
NTSC (M)
PAL (B) SECAM (K)
PAL (G)
PAL (K)
NTSC (M)
PAL (G)

Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg SECAM (B)
PAL (I)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
SECAM (D)
PAL (B)
PAL (I)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)
SECAM (K)
PAL (G)

Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Mali
Malta
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique SECAM (K1)
PAL (I)
PAL (B)
SECAM (B)
PAL (B)
SECAM (B)
SECAM (B)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (D)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (B)
PAL (G)
SECAM (K)
PAL (I)
PAL (G)
SECAM (G)
SECAM (B)
SECAM (G)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (K)
PAL (G)
SECAM (G)
PAL (G)

Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Norway PAL (I)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (K1)
PAL (B)
PAL (B) PAL (I)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (K1)
PAL (I)
PAL (G)

Oman PAL (B) PAL (G)

Pakistan
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico PAL (B)
NTSC (M)
PAL (B)
PAL (N)
NTSC (M)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (D)
PAL (B)
NTSC (M) PAL (G)
NTSC (M)
PAL (G)
PAL (N)
NTSC (M)
NTSC (M)
SECAM (K)
PAL (G)
NTSC (M)

Qatar PAL (B) PAL (G)

Romania
Russia
Rwanda PAL (D)
SECAM (D)
SECAM (K1) PAL (G)
SECAM (K)
SECAM (K1)

St. Christopher and Nevis
Samoa
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovenia
Somali
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria NTSC (M)
NTSC (M)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
SECAM (K1)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
PAL (I)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
NTSC (M)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)

SECAM (G)
SECAM (K1)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)
PAL (I)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)

Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad / Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey NTSC (M)
PAL (I)
PAL (B)
SECAM (K1)
NTSC (M)
PAL (B)
PAL (B)
PAL (I)
PAL (G)
SECAM (K1)
PAL (G)
PAL (G)

Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
UK of Great Britain
United States of America
Uruguay PAL (B)
SECAM (D)
PAL (B)
NTSC (M)
PAL (N)

SECAM (K)
PAL (G)
PAL (I)
NTSC (M)

Venezuela
Viet Nam
Virgin Islands NTSC (M)
SECAM (D)
NTSC (M) NTSC (M)
SECAM (K)

Yemen
Yugoslavia PAL (B)
PAL (B) PAL (G)
PAL (G)

Zaire
Zambia
Zanzibar
Zimbabwe SECAM (K1)
PAL (G)
PAL (I)
PAL (G) SECAM (K1)
PAL (G)
PAL (I)
PAL (G)

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COUNTRY	VHF TUNER	UHF TUNER
Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Antigua Armenia Argentina Australia Austria Azerbaijan	SECAM (D) PAL (B) PAL (B) PAL (I) NTSC (M) SECAM (D) PAL (CN) PAL (B) PAL (B) SECAM (D)	PAL (G) PAL (G) PAL (I) NTSC (M) SECAM (K) PAL (CN) PAL (B) PAL (G) SECAM (K)
Bahamas Barbados Bahrain Bangladesh Belarus Belgium Benin Bermuda Boliva Bosnia / Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burma Burundi	NTSC (M) NTSC (M) PAL (B) PAL (B) SECAM (D) PAL (B) SECAM (K1) NTSC (M) NTSC (M) PAL (B) PAL (I) PAL (M) PAL (B) SECAM (D) SECAM (K1) NTSC (M) SECAM (K1)	PAL (G) PAL (H) SECAM (K1) NTSC (M) PAL (G) PAL (I) PAL (M) SECAM (K) SECAM (K1) SECAM (K1)
Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Comoros Congo Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic	PAL (B) NTSC (M) SECAM (K1) SECAM (K1) NTSC (M) PAL (D) NTSC (M) NTSC (M) SECAM (K1) SECAM (K1) PAL (B) NTSC (M) NTSC (M) PAL (B) SECAM (D)	PAL (G) NTSC (M) SECAM (K1) SECAM (K1) NTSC (M) PAL (D) NTSC (M) NTSC (M) SECAM (K1) SECAM (K1) PAL (G) NTSC (M) NTSC (M) PAL (G) SECAM (K)
Denmark Djibouti Dominican Republic	PAL (B) SECAM (B) NTSC (M)	PAL (G) NTSC (M)
Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Estonia Ethiopia Equatorial Guinea	NTSC (M) PAL (B) NTSC (M) SECAM (D) PAL (B) PAL (B)	NTSC (M) PAL (G) SECAM (K) PAL (G) PAL (G)
Faeroe Islands Finland France	PAL (B) PAL (B) SECAM (L)	PAL (G) PAL (G) SECAM (L)
Gabon Gambia Germany Georgia Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau	SECAM (K1) PAL (I) PAL (B) SECAM (D) PAL (B) PAL (B) SECAM (B) PAL (B) NTSC (M) NTSC (M) PAL (I) PAL (I)	SECAM (K1) PAL (I) PAL (G) SECAM (K) PAL (B) PAL (G) SECAM (G) PAL (G) NTSC (M) PAL (I) PAL (I)
Hong Kong Honduras Hungary	NTSC (M) SECAM (D)	PAL (I) NTSC (M) SECAM (K)
Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy	PAL (B) PAL (B) PAL (B) SECAM (B) SECAM (B) PAL (I) PAL (B) PAL (B)	PAL (G) SECAM (G) SECAM (G) PAL (I) PAL (G) PAL (G)
Jamaica Japan Jordan	NTSC (M) NTSC (M) PAL (B)	NTSC (M) NTSC (M) PAL (G)
Kazakhstan Kenya Korea (north) Korea (south) Kuwait	SECAM (D) PAL (B) PAL (D) NTSC (M) PAL (B)	SECAM (K) PAL (G) PAL (K) NTSC (M) PAL (G)
Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg	SECAM (B) PAL (I) PAL (B) PAL (B) SECAM (D) PAL (B)	PAL (I) PAL (G) PAL (G) SECAM (K) PAL (G)
Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Moldova Monaco Montserrat Morocco Mozambique	SECAM (K1) PAL (I) PAL (B) SECAM (B) PAL (B) SECAM (B) SECAM (B) NTSC (M) SECAM (D) NTSC (M) SECAM (B) PAL (G)	SECAM (K) PAL (I) PAL (G) SECAM (G) SECAM (B) SECAM (G) NTSC (M) SECAM (K) PAL (G) SECAM (G) PAL (G)
Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Norway	PAL (I) PAL (B) PAL (B) PAL (B) NTSC (M) SECAM (K1) PAL (B) PAL (B)	PAL (I) PAL (G) PAL (G) NTSC (M) SECAM (K1) PAL (I) PAL (G)
Oman	PAL (B)	PAL (G)
Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico	PAL (B) NTSC (M) PAL (B) PAL (N) NTSC (M) NTSC (M) SECAM (D) PAL (B) NTSC (M)	PAL (G) NTSC (M) PAL (G) PAL (N) NTSC (M) NTSC (M) SECAM (K) PAL (G) NTSC (M)
Qatar	PAL (B)	PAL (G)
Romania Russia Rwanda	PAL (D) SECAM (D) SECAM (K1)	PAL (G) SECAM (K) SECAM (K1)
St. Christopher and Nevis Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovenia Somali South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria	NTSC (M) NTSC (M) PAL (B) PAL (B) SECAM (K1) PAL (B) PAL (B) PAL (B) PAL (B) PAL (B) PAL (I) PAL (B) PAL (B) NTSC (M) PAL (B) PAL (B) PAL (B) PAL (B)	SECAM (G) SECAM (K1) PAL (G) PAL (G) PAL (G) PAL (G) PAL (I) PAL (G) PAL (G) PAL (G) PAL (G) PAL (G) PAL (G)
Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Togo Trinidad / Tobago Tunisia Turkey	NTSC (M) PAL (I) PAL (B) SECAM (K1) NTSC (M) PAL (B) PAL (B)	PAL (I) PAL (G) SECAM (K1) PAL (G) PAL (G)
Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates UK of Great Britain United States of America Uruguay	PAL (B) SECAM (D) PAL (B) NTSC (M) PAL (N)	SECAM (K) PAL (G) PAL (I) NTSC (M)
Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands	NTSC (M) SECAM (D) NTSC (M)	NTSC (M) SECAM (K)
Yemen Yugoslavia	PAL (B) PAL (B)	PAL (G) PAL (G)
Zaire Zambia Zanzibar Zimbabwe	SECAM (K1) PAL (G) PAL (I) PAL (G)	SECAM (K1) PAL (G) PAL (I) PAL (G)