All this is almost in the past. PAL and NTSC belong to analog television, which is gradually being replaced by digital television everywhere and irrevocably. However, some time ago, these abbreviations were familiar to everyone who watched or filmed video at home: the mismatch of recording standards led to the refusal of the equipment from playback. Today the problem is not so acute: decoders are used when necessary. And yet, in due time, many copies broke about the issue of the differences between PAL and NTSC, especially given the strict territorial reference: PAL belonged to Europe, NTSC belonged to the USA and Japan. This alone caused controversy about what is best for the Soviet-Russian person. However, there is no answer to this question and there cannot be: taste and color are always of higher priority, and neither PAL nor NTSC were broadcast on the territory of Russia - SECAM reigns here.
PAL - color system analog television, adopted in a number of countries in Europe, Africa, Australia.
NTSC - a color analog television system adopted in the USA, Japan, South Korea and some other Asian countries.
Comparison of PAL and NTSC
Actually, the difference between PAL and NTSC is solely in the specifics of technology. Most models of video equipment are omnivorous: they can receive a signal and reproduce an image of any of the three standards without distortion. First of all, you should pay attention to the line scan frequency: for PAL 625 lines, for NTSC - 525 lines. Accordingly, the resolution is higher for the European system. But the frame rate is on the contrary, 30 Hz versus 25 Hz.
By eye, the differences between PAL and NTSC are noticeable in color quality. Technically more complex NTSC allows for color distortion, while PAL produces a picture that is close to natural. NTSC is sensitive to signal phase distortion and amplitude fluctuations, therefore, the predominance of red, for example, or color replacement for it is common. In PAL, which appeared later, these shortcomings were eliminated, however, it turned out to be done due to the clarity of the resulting image. In addition, the PAL receiver is more complex in configuration, it has a delay line, therefore, the assembly cost is higher.
The PAL standard today exists in many varieties, different in specifics. NTSC is represented by three, one of which, NTSC N, corresponds to PAL N, almost no different, so the names were used interchangeably. Japan has its own NTSC J format.
It's all about television. However, the abbreviations are very familiar to gamers, and they are biased about this issue. Or they were, because the phenomenon has lost its relevance. A number of years ago, game console makers and game developers took into account the sales region by releasing content in either PAL or NTSC format. The prefixes recognized only their own, refusing to work with strangers. Therefore, the game was localized not only through translation, but also by coding in accordance with the standard. Sometimes, along the way, something was changed or cut out in it, so that the same release in Europe and the USA could be different, and significantly. Those who could choose (and then the owners of consoles without regional binding) often chose PAL - because the resolution and color quality are slightly higher. But the games could slow down slightly. Naturally, there was no unanimity on this issue. To date, the division by region is still relevant for some models of game consoles, but there is no problem with chiping (thanks to the craftsmen) and cross-platform.
TheDifference.ru determined that the difference between the PAL format and NTSC is as follows:
PAL is a standard for European countries, NTSC is for the USA, Japan and some Asian countries.
Scanning frequency for PAL - 625 lines, NTSC - 525.
Frame rate for PAL - 25 Hz, for NTSC - 30 Hz.
NTSC allows color distortion, PAL has lower image clarity.
Games and gaming consoles differ by region of sale: NTSC for USA, PAL for Europe.
PAL, SECAM and NTSC - these are systems in which the signal is broadcast (from an antenna, cable, satellite receiver or DVD). The most important thing to know about them and a little history in our article
About what is PAL or SECAM most of us only found out in the late 1980s, when we brought with us from abroad or bought in brand stores the first imported video recorders, video players and videotapes with films or music. Imagine the disappointment when it turned out that it was not so easy to connect them to our, Soviet TVs, but when connected, it turned out that the picture was black and white. Then, turning to the master, the owner of the "Vidic" learned that his TV only accepts the system colors " SECAM", and all the videotapes he bought were recorded in" PAL"or, even worse, in one of the standards" NTSC"
Speaking simple language, PAL, SECAM and NTSC are systems of "chromaticity" or color rendering. If they do not match (at the signal source and the TV), the picture on the screen will be black and white (and it can also be narrowed or even stripes, instead of the picture). The signal itself, which the TV circuitry processes, contains information about brightness (black and white picture) and chromaticity (about how to colorize the b / w picture). So, the information about the color "colors" is just encoded into one of the PAL, SECAM systems ...
| PAL (abbreviated from Phase Alternating Line) is an analog television standard. A color coding system used in television systems around the world. This system has a resolution of 625 lines at 25 frames (50 fields) per second.
PAL history
In the 1950s, when mass-producing color TVs in Western Europe, developers faced a problem found in the NTSC standard. The system showed a number of shortcomings, the main one of which was the image color shift under poor signal reception conditions. Subsequently, to overcome the shortcomings of NTSC, alternative PAL and SECAM standards were developed. The new standard was intended for color television in European countries, had a frequency of 50 fields per second (50 hertz), and did not have the disadvantages of NTSC.
The PAL standard was developed by Walter Bruch at Telefunken in Germany. The first broadcasts of the new standard were made in Great Britain in 1964, then in Germany in 1967.
Telefunken was later acquired by French electronics manufacturer Thomson. The company also acquired the founder of the European SECAM standard, Compagnie Générale de Télévision. Thomson (now Technicolor SA) holds an RCA license from Radio Corporation of America, the founder of the NTSC standard.
In television systems, the term PAL is often interpreted as 576i (625 lines / 50 Hz), NTSC as 480i (525 lines / 60 Hz). The symbols on DVD discs of PAL or NTSC standard indicate the method of color reproduction, although the composite color itself is not recorded on them.
Color coding
As with NTSC, PAL uses amplitude modulation with a chroma balance subcarrier added to the luminance of the composite video signal. The subcarrier frequency for PAL signal is 4.43361875 MHz, compared to 3.579545 MHz for NTSC. On the other hand, SECAM uses frequency modulation with two alternate color lines with subcarriers of 4.25000 and 4.40625 MHz.
The very name of the standard " Phase Alternating Line"indicates that the phase part of the color information in the video signal is restored from each line, which automatically corrects errors in signal transmission, canceling them, due to the vertical resolution. The lines where the color is restored are often called PAL or phase interleaving of lines, while as other lines are called NTSC lines.The first PAL TVs were very irritating to the human eye due to the so-called picture comb effect, also known as Hanover bars, which occurs when phase errors occur. Thus, most receivers began to use delay lines in color. storing information about the received color in each line of the kinescope.The disadvantage of the PAL system is the vertical color resolution, which is poorer than in NTSC, but since the human eye has the same color resolution, then this effect is not visible.
The typical subcarrier frequency is 4.43361875 MHz and consists of 283.75 color clocks per line plus an offset of -25 Hz to avoid interference. Since the horizontal frequency is 15625 Hz (625 lines x 50 Hz / 2), the carrier color is calculated as: 4.43361875 MHz \u003d 283.75 * 15625 Hz + 25 Hz.
The initial color subcarrier is required for the decoder to correct color differences. Since the color subcarrier is not transmitted along with the video information, it must be generated in the receiver. In order for the phase of the generated signal to correspond to the transmitted information, 10 cycles of "color flashes" of the subcarrier are added to the video signal.
Advantages of PAL over NTSC
For NTSC receivers, color adjustment can be performed manually. If the color is incorrectly adjusted, the color display may be erroneous. The PAL standard automatically changes color. PAL chroma phase errors have been eliminated with a 1H delay line, resulting in a degradation of color saturation that is not as noticeable to the human eye as in NTSC.
However, even in PAL systems, color interleaving (Hanover Bars) - can lead to graininess due to phase errors if first generation decoders are used. Often, these extreme phase shifts do not occur. Usually, this effect is observed when obstacles occur during the passage of the signal, and is observed in heavily built-up areas. The effect is more noticeable at ultra high frequencies (UHF) than at VHF.
In the early 1970s, some Japanese manufacturers developed new decoding techniques to avoid paying royalties to Telefunken. The Telefunken license provided for any decoding method that would reduce the phase distortion of the phase subcarrier. One development was to use a 1H delay line to decode only odd or even lines. For example, chroma on odd lines was turned on directly at the decoder, keeping the delay lines. Then, on even lines, the stored odd lines were decoded again. This method effectively converts PAL system to NTSC. Such systems also have their disadvantages associated with NTSC and require the addition of manual control over color tints.
PAL and NTSC standards have several different color spaces, but color differences are ignored thanks to the decoder.
PAL advantages over SECAM
The first attempts at alignment with color TVs were made in the SECAM standard, which also had the problem of NTSC shades. Achieved by applying different methods color transmission, namely alternative transmission of U and V vectors and modulation frequencies.
SECAM is more reliable for long distance transmission than NTSC or PAL. However, due to its nature, the color signal is retained only in a distorted form due to a decrease in amplitude, even in the black and white part of the image (color overlap occurs). Also PAL and SECAM receivers need delay lines.
PAL signal characteristics
The PAL-B / G signal has the following characteristics.
PAL system types
| PAL B | PAL G, H | PAL I | PAL D / K | PAL M | PAL N | |
| Bandwidth | VHF | UHF | UHF / VHF * | VHF / UHF | VHF / UHF | VHF / UHF |
| Number of fields | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 | 50 |
| Of lines | 625 | 625 | 625 | 625 | 525 | 625 |
| Active lines | 576 | 576 | 582 | 576 | 480 | 576 |
| Channel bandwidth | 7 MHz | 8 MHz | 8 MHz | 8 MHz | 6 MHz | 6 MHz |
| Video bandwidth | 5.0 MHz | 5.0 MHz | 5.5 MHz | 6.0 MHz | 4.2 MHz | 4.2 MHz |
| Subcarrier color | 4.43361875 MHz | 4.43361875 MHz | 4.43361875 MHz | 4.43361875 MHz | 3.5756110 MHz | 3.58205625 MHz |
| Sound frequency | 5.5 MHz | 5.5 MHz | 6.0 MHz | 6.5 MHz | 4.5 MHz | 4.5 MHz |
* PAL I system has never been used on UK VHF frequencies
VHF - Very High Frequency (VHF)
UHF - Ultra High Frequency (UHF)
PAL-B / G / D / K / I
Most countries using PAL standards broadcast at 625 lines at 25 frames per second. The systems differ only in the carrier frequency of the audio signal and in the channel bandwidth. PAL B / G standards are used in most countries in Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland, Hong Kong, South Africa and Macau. PAL D / K standards in most of Central and Eastern Europe, PAL D standard in China. Analog CCTV cameras use the PAL D standard.
PAL B and PAL G systems are very similar. System B uses 7 MHz and wide channels on VHF, while System G uses 8 MHz and UHF. Systems D and K are also similar: System D is used only at VHF, while System K is used only at UHF.
PAL-M (Brazil)
In Brazil, the PAL system uses 525 lines and 29.97 fps of the M system, while using the NTSC color subcarrier. The exact frequency of the PAL-M color subcarrier is 3.575611 MHz.
The PAL color system can also be NTSC, 525-line (480i) images are often called PAL-60 (sometimes PAL-60/525, Quasi-PAL or Pseudo PAL). PAL is a broadcast standard, not to be confused with PAL-60.
PAL-N (Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay)
This version of the system is used in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. It employs 625 lines / 50 fields per second, the signal from PAL-B / G, D / K, H, I. And the 6 MHz channel with a color subcarrier frequency of 3.582 MHz is very similar to NTSC.
VHS tapes recorded with PAL-N or PAL-B / G, D / K, H, I do not differ due to the down-conversion of the subcarriers on the tape. VHS recorded from TV in Europe will be played back in PAL-N color. In addition, any tape recorded in Argentina or Uruguay with PAL-N television broadcasts can be played back in European countries that use PAL (Australia, New Zealand, etc.)
Typically, people in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay own televisions that also display nTSC-M standard, in addition to PAL-N. Live TV broadcast is also used in NTSC-M for North, Central and South America. Most DVD players sold in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay only play PAL discs (color subcarrier frequency 4.433618 MHz).
Some DVD players using a signal transcoder can encode NTSC-M, with some loss in picture quality by converting the system from 625/50 PAL DVD to NTSC-M format (525/60 output).
Advanced features of the PAL specification such as teletext are implemented in PAL-N. PAL-N supports 608 closed caption change, which is designed for easy NTSC compatibility.
PAL-L
The PAL L standard (phase altered L sound system) uses the same video system with PAL-B / G / H quality (625 lines, 50 Hz, 15.625 kHz), but with a bandwidth of 6 MHz rather than 5.5 MHz. This requires an audio subcarrier of 6.5 MHz. The channel spacing used for PAL-L is 8 MHz.
PAL standards compatibility
The PAL color system is usually used in conjunction with video formats that have 625 lines per frame (576 visible lines, the rest are used for service information, data synchronization and subtitles) and a refresh rate of 50 interlaced fields per second (i.e. 25 full frames per second). such as B, G, H, I, and N.
PAL guarantees video compatibility. However, some of the standards (B / G / H, I and D / K) use different sound frequencies (5.5 MHz, 6.0MHz 6.5MHz respectively). This can result in video without audio if the signal is transmitted over cable TV... In some Eastern European countries that previously used SECAM D and K systems, they switched to PAL, thus paying more attention to the video signal. As a result, it became necessary to use various sound carriers.
PAL, SECAM and NTSC - these are systems in which the signal is broadcast from an antenna, cable receiver, satellite receiver or DVD.
PAL, SECAM and NTSC are color systems or color rendering systems. If they are incompatible between the signal source and the TV, the picture on the screen will be black and white, or it may be narrowed or stripes without standard image... The signal itself, which the TV circuitry processes, contains information about brightness and chromaticity... Color information is encoded in one of the PAL, SECAM ...
To obtain color image, only three colors are enough: red , blue and green ... Therefore, the television signal must contain information about these three colors and the signal. brightness.
Knowing the brightness information Yas well as the blue signal IN color and red R, you can, by a simple calculation, find out information about the green color G.
- NTSC
As signals for transmitting color information in the system NTSC accepted color difference signals (R-Y and B-Y). These signals are transmitted in the spectrum of the luminance signal at one color subcarrier frequency, with a phase shift of 90 degrees.There are several standards NTSC, the most popular of which are: NTSC 4.43 and NTSC 3.58... They all have a frame rate. 60Hz (more precisely: 59.94005994 Hz), number of lines: 525 (486 - active), and the numbers: 4.43 or 3.58 is the frequency at which color information is transmitted (modulation frequency)
The main disadvantage of the system is the possibility of color distortions. They cause the color tone on the TV screen to change depending on the brightness of that area of \u200b\u200bthe picture. For example, human faces on the screen appear reddish in shadows and greenish in highlights. To reduce this distortion, TVs NTSC equipped with color tone controls: TINT CONTROL... This control allows you to achieve more natural coloring of parts with a single brightness, however, the color tone distortion of brighter or darker parts of the image even increases.
- PAL
PAL - an analog color television system, developed by an engineer of a German company and presented as a television broadcasting standard. System PAL is the main color television system in Europe.Main characteristics: frequency of changing half frames - 50 Hz, number of lines - 625 (576 active), modulation frequency of the color subcarrier (color information) 4.43 MHz
Since the number of full frames in PAL equally 25 (per second) is close to 24 -m standard frames of filming, therefore - the process of transferring film films to the PAL television standard is as simple and convenient as possible (you do not need to trick unnecessary non-existent frames, as for NTSC)
Adding the voltage at the input of the delay line with the inverted voltage at its output eliminates the phase error (failure) and the color gamut on the TV screen looks more natural than when watching NTSC-encoded programs.
A variation of the standard PAL-60, supports the 60 Hz field change, adopted in the NTSC system, so it can work on equipment and TVs that have this frame rate.
- SECAM
The main advantage of the system SECAM is the absence of cross-distortion between color-difference signals, achieved due to their sequential transmission. However, in practice, this advantage may not always be realized due to the imperfection of the color switches in the decoding device. System SECAM practically insensitive to differential phase distortion, especially critical for NTSC systems. Due to the use of frequency modulation, high resistance to changes in the amplitude of the subcarrier arising from the unevenness of the frequency response of the transmission path. The NTSC system is more sensitive to such distortion, which manifests itself as a change in color saturation. For the same reasons SECAM less sensitive to fluctuations in video tape speed.Several modifications of the standard are used in the world SECAM, not differing from each other in the way of transmission of color-difference signals, including the so-called predistortion. Only the carrier frequencies of the brightness video signal, sound accompaniment and the method of sound modulation differ. One of the important differences nowadays is the color recognition method. For this, they can be used as standard color identification signals SECAMand subcarrier bursts during horizontal blanking.
- MESECAM
MESECAM - is a type of system SECAM and serves to enable video recorders operating in the PAL standard to be able to record programs broadcast in the SECAM system. It was not the best, but a fairly simple and inexpensive development, the need for which arose with the massive distribution of video recorders in the countries of Eastern Europe (USSR) and Asia, which received a television signal in the SECAM system - HDTV
HDTV (High Definition Television) is a new direction in the development of television in the world. Name in Russian - high definition television (HDTV).
Conventional television assumes an image resolution of 720 by 576 pixels, while HDTV allows you to watch television programs with a resolution of up to 1920 by 1080 pixels. So the image size HDTV 5 times more than in conventional television, or we can say that HDTV five times sharper than conventional TV.
Another feature of the standard HDTV is that it regulates 60 progressive frames per second, while conventional TV only gives 24 (25) frames per second. This number of frames allows for a much softer and more natural image on the screen, especially in fast moving scenes.
The term "High Definition" appeared in the 30s of the 20th century. It was then that a qualitative leap took place in television: systems began to be used that made it possible to abandon images with a resolution of 15-200 lines. In the mid 50s, the first prototypes were created. However, in order for high definition television to become visible to the naked eye, a display with a large screen diagonal is required. The high cost of such displays hindered development HDTV for decades. Rapid development HDTV began in the mid-2000s, concurrently with the widespread adoption of plasma and liquid crystal displays.
720p: 1280 × 720 pixels, progressive scan, aspect ratio 16: 9, frequency - 24, 25, 30, 50 or 60 frames per second (this HDTV format is recommended as a standard for the EMU member countries);
1080i: 1920 × 1080 pixels, interlaced, aspect ratio 16: 9, frequency - 50 or 60 fields per second;
1080p: 1920 × 1080 pixels, progressive scan, aspect ratio 16: 9, frequency - 24, 25 or 30 frames per second.
To view HDTV movies you need HDTV TV set. It could be HDTV plasma, LCD TV or HDTV projector. Can be viewed on a monitor (LCD or CRT), but of all quality HDTV You won't see. You also need a player with support HDTVor powerful computer... If you want to enjoy HDTV TV at home, you need to purchase a special receiver and a satellite dish.
When the order is confirmed, we will ask customers whether the TV system in their country is NTSC or PAL. It was asked for. Then, What is NTSC, PAL?
PAL, NTSC, and SECAM, three TV technology standards for the analog color world. This is a standard for a television station and television to implement video and audio signal together. Only by following the same technical standards, can it be able to achieve the TV signal of normal reception. It is the same as sockets and plugs, only the same type can be connected together. The China plug cannot be plugged into a UK standard power outlet.
Color display The image on a TV screen consists of a mixed signal of three primary colors: red, green and blue flowers... The degree of brightness of the three colors makes colorful images. How to deal with the three main color signals and achieve broadcast and reception requires certain technical standards that have shaped the color television standard. So comes the three TV systems: NTSC (also known as the N system, or the US standard), the PAL system (also known as Parr or West Germany, UK), the SECAM system (also known as the Sekon system or French system). The main differences between these three systems are frame rate (field frequency), decomposition rate, signal bandwidth and carrier frequency, color space conversion ratio, etc.
PAL (Phase Alternating Line), a television system developed in 1965, is mainly used in China, Hong Kong, the Middle East and Europe. This system is with 4.43Mh color bandwidth, 6.5MHz audio bandwidth, 25 frames per second.
NTSC (National Television Committee) standard developed from the United States National Television and Development Committee in 1952 by the United States, Canada and Japan, China Taiwan, South Korea, Philippines and other countries use this standard. This system is with 3.58Mhz color bandwidth, 6.0Mhz audio bandwidth, 30fps image.
Why is NTSC system 30fps while PAL system is 25fps? This is because the country's electricity is 110V \\ 60Hz, so the frequency of the TV signal box directly receive the frequency alternating current 60Hz, and two represent the frame, so 60 divided by 2 equals 30, which is the number of TV frames. China's electricity 220V \\ 50Hz, so 25 per second.
