PAL

Definition:

PAL (Phase Alternate Line) is the dominant format in the World for analog television broadcasting and video display (sorry U.S.) and is based on a 625 line, 50 field/25 frames a second, 50HZ system. The signal is interlaced, like NTSC into two fields, composed of 312 lines each.

Note: Brazil uses a variant of PAL, which is referred to as PAL-M. PAL-M uses 525 lines/60 HZ. PAL-M is compatible with B/W only playback on NTSC format devices.

Two distinguishing features are:

One: A better overall picture than NTSC because of the increased amount of scan lines.

Two: Since color was part of the standard from the beginning, color consistency between stations and TVs are much better. There is a down side to PAL however, since there are fewer frames (25) displayed per second, sometimes you can notice a slight flicker in the image, much like the flicker seen on projected film.

Since PAL and its variations have such world domination, it has been nicknamed "Peace At Last", by those in the video professions.

Countries on the PAL system include the U.K., Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, China, India, most of Africa, and the Middle East. For more info on other countries check out a complete listing.

Also Known As: Phase Alternate Line, "Peace At Last"