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.”
Standards by region:
AFGHANISTAN – PAL/SECAM
ALBANIA – PAL
ALGERIA – PAL
ANDORRA – PAL
ANGOLA – PAL
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA – NTSC
ARGENTINA – PAL-N
ARUBA – NTSC
AUSTRALIA – PAL
AUSTRIA – PAL
AZORES (PORTUGAL) – PAL
ARMENIA – MESECAM
AZERBAIJAN – MESECAM
BAHAMAS – NTSC
BAHRAIN – PAL
BANGLADESH – PAL
BARBADOS – NTSC
BELGIUM – PAL
BELIZE – NTSC
BERMUDA – NTSC
BENIN – SECAM
BOLIVIA – NTSC
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA – PAL
BRAZIL – PAL-M
BRUNEI (DARUSSALAM) – PAL
BULGARIA – SECAM
BOTSWANA – MESECAM
BURKINA FASO – MESECAM
BURMA – NTSC
BURUNDI – MESECAM
CAMBODIA – NTSC
CANADA – NTSC
CANARY ISLANDS – PAL
CHANNEL ISLANDS – PAL/SECAM
CHILE – NTSC
CHINA – PAL
COLUMBIA – NTSC
COMOROS – SECAM
CONGO – SECAM
COSTA RICA – NTSC
CROATIA – PAL
CUBA – NTSC
CYPRUS – PAL
CZECH REPUBLIC – SECAM
CZECHOSLOVAKIA – PAL/SECAM
CAMEROON – PAL
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC – MESECAM
CHAD – MESECAM
COTE D’IVOIRE – SECAM
DENMARK – PAL
DJIBOUTI – SECAM
DOMINICA – NTSC
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – NTSC
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – SECAM
ECUADOR – NTSC
EGYPT – PAL
EL SALVADOR – NTSC
ETHIOPIA – PAL
EQUATORIAL GUINEA – MESECAM
ESTONIA – PAL/SECAM
FAROE ISLANDS – PAL
FINLAND – PAL
FRANCE – SECAM
FIJI – NTSC
FALKLAND ISLANDS – PAL
GABON – SECAM
GAMBIA – PAL
GERMANY – PAL
GHANA – PAL
GIBRALTAR – PAL
GREECE – PAL/SECAM
GREENLAND – NTSC
GUADELOUPE – SECAM
GUAM – NTSC
GUATEMALA – NTSC
GRENADA – NTSC
GUYANA – SECAM
GEORGIA – MESECAM
GUINEA – PAL
HAITI – SECAM/NTSC
HAWAII – NTSC
HONDURAS – NTSC
HONG KONG – PAL
HUNGARY – SECAM
IVORY COAST – MESECAM
ICELAND – PAL
INDIA – PAL
INDONESIA – PAL
IRAN – MESECAM
IRAQ – MESECAM
IRELAND – PAL
ISLE OF MAN – PAL
ISRAEL – PAL
ITALY – PAL
JAMAICA – NTSC
JAPAN – NTSC
JORDAN – PAL
JOHNSTON ISLAND – NTSC
KENYA – PAL
NORTH KOREA – PAL/NTSC
SOUTH KOREA – NTSC
KUWAIT – SECAM
KAZAKHSTAN – MESECAM
KAMPUCHEA – PAL
KYRGYZ REPUBLIC – MESECAM
LEBANON – SECAM
LIBERIA – PAL
LIBYA – PAL/SECAM
LIECHTENSTEIN – PAL
LITHUANIA – SECAM
LUXENBOURG – PAL/SECAM
LAOS – PAL
LATIVIA – MESECAM
LESOTHO – PAL
MADAGASCAR – SECAM
MADEIRA – PAL/SECAM
MALAYSIA – PAL
MALTA – PAL
MARTINIQUE – MESECAM
MAURITIUS – SECAM
MEXICO – NTSC
MICRONESIA – NTSC
MALAWI – PAL
MALDIVES – PAL
MACEDONIA – PAL
MACAO – PAL
MALI – MESECAM
MACAU – PAL
MONACO – PAL/SECAM
MONGOLIA – SECAM
MOROCCO – SECAM
MOZAMBIQUE – PAL
MYANMAR – NTSC
MAURITANIA – MESECAM
MARSHALL ISLANDS – NTSC
MIDWAY ISLAND – NTSC
MOLDAVA – MESECAM
MONTSERRAT – MESECAM
MAYOTIE – MESECAM
NETHERLANDS – PAL
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES – NTSC
NEW CALEDONIA – MESECAM
NEW ZEALAND – PAL
NICARAGUA – NTSC
NIGER – MESECAM
NIGERIA – PAL
NORWAY – PAL
NAMIBIA – PAL
NEPAL – PAL
NORTHERN MARINA ISLANDS – NTSC
NORFOLK ISLAND – PAL
OMAN – PAL
OKINAWA – NTSC
PAKISTAN – PAL
PANAMA – NTSC
PARAGUAY – PAL-N
PERU – NTSC
PHILIPPINES – NTSC
POLAND – PAL/SECAM
PORTUGAL – PAL
PUERTO RICO – NTSC
PALAU – NTSC
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – PAL
POLYNESIA, FRENCH – MESECAM
QATAR – PAL
REUNION – SECAM/MESECAM
ROMANIA – PAL/SECAM
RUSSIAN FEDERATION – PAL/SECAM
SAINT KITTS & NEVIS – NTSC
SAINT LUCIA – NTSC
SAINT VINCENT & THE GRENADINES – NTSC
SAL PAN – NTSC
SAMOA (AMERICAN) – NTSC
SAMOA (WESTERN) – PAL
SAUDI ARABIA – PAL/SECAM
SENEGAL – PAL/SECAM
SEYCHELLES – SECAM
SIERRA LEONE – PAL
SINGAPORE – PAL
SPAIN – PAL
SRI LANKA – PAL
SUDAN – PAL
SURINAM – NTSC
SWAZILAND – PAL
SWEDEN – PAL
SWITZERLAND – PAL
SYRIA – SECAM
SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE- PALPAL
SLOVAK REPUBLIC – PALPAL/SECAM
SLOVENIA – PAL
SLOVAKIA – PAL/ECAM
SOMALIA – PAL
SOUTH AFRICA – PAL
ST. GRENADINES – NTSC
ST. MARINO – PAL
ST. PIERRE MIQUELON – MESECAM
TAJIKISTAN – MESECAM
TAHITI – SECAM
TAIWAN – NTSC
TANZANIA – PAL
THAILAND – PAL
TIBET – PAL
TOBAGO – NTSC
TOGO – SECAM
TONGA – NTSC
TRINIDAD – NTSC
TUNISIA – SECAM
TURKEY – PAL
TUNESI – MESECAM
TURKMENISTAN – MESECAM
UGANDA – PAL
UKRAINE – SECAM
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – PAL
UNITED KINGDOM – PAL
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – NTSC
URUGUAY – PAL-N
UZBEKISTAN – MESECAM
VENEZUELA – NTSC
VIETNAM – SECAM/NTSC
VIRGIN ISLANDS (BRITISH & AMERICAN) – NTSC
YEMEN – PAL(SECAM/NTSC)
YUGOSLAVIA – PAL
ZAIRE – MESECAM
ZAMBIA – PAL
ZIMBABWE – PAL
ZANZIBAR – PAL
