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 CommitteeDeveloped 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 LineDeveloped 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
| 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 |
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.