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TV Systems
We at TenLab have put together the following chart listing countries and their corresponding color TV standards and DVD regions.We have tried to be as accurate as possible, despite contradicting information found in books and manuals, and the fact that there are new countries, and some have changed their names. Other countries have an "official" TV standard, but new cable companies are broadcasting in a different system, or programs are received from beyond their borders, and there is some confusion about which is the system being used locally. We will appreciate any information you can provide to help us refine and correct the chart.
Please use the E-mail links at the bottom of the page to send in your comments. Thank you.
COUNTRY | VHF | UHF | DVD REGIONS |
AFGHANISTAN | PAL/SECAM B | 5 | |
ALBANIA | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
ALGERIA | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
ANGOLA | PAL I | 5 | |
ARGENTINA | PAL N | PAL N | 4 |
AUSTRALIA | PAL B | PAL G | 4 |
AUSTRIA | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
AZORES | PAL B | ||
BAHAMAS | NTSC M | 4 | |
BAHRAIN | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
BANGLADESH | PAL B | 5 | |
BARBADOS | NTSC M | 4 | |
BELGIUM | PAL B | PAL H | 2 |
BERMUDA | NTSC M | ||
BOLIVIA | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
BOTSWANA | PAL I | 5 | |
BRAZIL | PAL M | PAL M | 4 |
BRUNEI | PAL B | PAL B | |
BULGARIA | SECAM D | SECAM K | 2 |
BURKINA FASO | SECAM K1 | 5 | |
BURMA | NTSC M | ||
BURUNDI | SECAM K1 | 5 | |
CAMBODIA | NTSC M | 3 | |
CAMEROON | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
CANADA | NTSC M | NTSC M | 1 |
CANARY ISLANDS | PAL B | 2 | |
CHAD | SECAM K1 | 5 | |
CHILE | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
CHINA | PAL D | 6 | |
COLOMBIA | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
COSTA RICA | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
| CROATIA | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
CUBA | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
CYPRUS | PAL B | PAL G | |
CZECH REPUBLIC | PAL D | PAL K | 2 |
DAHOMEY | SECAM K1 | ||
DENMARK | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
DJIBOUTI | SECAM B | SECAM G | 5 |
DOMINICAN REP | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
ECUADOR | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
EGYPT | SECAM B/PAL B | SECAM G/PAL G | 2 |
EL SALVADOR | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
EQUAT. GUINEA | PAL B | 5 | |
ESTONIA | PAL B (was SECAM) | PAL D | 5 |
ETHIOPIA | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
FIJI | PAL B | ||
FINLAND | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
FRANCE | SECAM L | SECAM L | 2 |
FRENCH POLYNESIA | SECAM K1 | ||
GABON | SECAM K1 | 5 | |
GAMBIA | PAL I | 5 | |
GERMANY | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
GHANA | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
GIBRALTAR | PAL B | PAL H | 2 |
GREECE | PAL B (was SECAM) | PAL G | 2 |
GREENLAND | NTSC/PAL B | 2 | |
GUADELOUPE | SECAM K1 | ||
GUAM | NTSC M | 1 | |
GUATEMALA | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
GUINEA | PAL K | 5 | |
GUYANA (FRENCH) | SECAM K1 | 4 | |
HONDURAS | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
HONG KONG | -- | PAL I | 3 |
HUNGARY | SECAM D/PAL | SECAM K/PAL | 2 |
ICELAND | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
INDIA | PAL B | 5 | |
INDONESIA | PAL B | PAL G | 3 |
IRAN | SECAM B | SECAM G | 2 |
IRAQ | SECAM B | 2 | |
IRELAND | PAL I | PAL I | 2 |
ISRAEL | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
ITALY | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
IVORY COAST | SECAM K1 | 5 | |
JAMAICA | NTSC M | 4 | |
JAPAN | NTSC M | NTSC M | 2 |
JORDAN | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
KENYA | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
KOREA NORTH | PAL | 5 | |
KOREA SOUTH | NTSC M | NTSC M | 3 |
KUWAIT | PAL B | 2 | |
LATVIA | PAL D (was SECAM) | PAL K | 5 |
LEBANON | SECAM B | SECAM G | 2 |
LIBERIA | PAL B | PAL H | 5 |
LIBYA | SECAM B | SECAM G | 5 |
LITHUANIA | PAL D (was SECAM) | PAL K | 5 |
LUXEMBOURG | PAL B/SECAM L | PAL G/SEC L | 2 |
MADAGASCAR | SECAM K1 | 5 | |
MADEIRA | PAL B | ||
MALAGASY | SECAM K1 | ||
MALAWI | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
MALAYSIA | PAL B | 3 | |
MALI | SECAM K1 | 5 | |
MALTA | PAL B | PAL H | 2 |
MARTINIQUE | SECAM K1 | ||
MAURITANIA | SECAM B | 5 | |
MAURITIUS | SECAM B | 5 | |
MEXICO | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
MONACO | SECAM L | 2 | |
MONGOLIA | SECAM D | 5 | |
MOROCCO | SECAM B | 5 | |
MOZAMBIQUE | PAL B | 5 | |
NAMIBIA | PAL I | 5 | |
NEPAL | PAL B | ||
NETHERLANDS | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
NETH. ANTILLES | NTSC M | NTSC M | |
NEW CALEDONIA | SECAM K1 | ||
NEW GUINEA | PAL B | PAL G | 4 |
NEW ZEALAND | PAL B | PAL G | 4 |
NICARAGUA | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
NIGER | SECAM K1 | 5 | |
NIGERIA | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
NORWAY | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
OMAN | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
PAKISTAN | PAL B | 5 | |
PANAMA | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
PARAGUAY | PAL N | PAL N | 4 |
PERU | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
PHILIPPINES | NTSC M | NTSC M | 3 |
POLAND | PAL D | PAL K | 2 |
PORTUGAL | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
PUERTO RICO | NTSC M | NTSC M | 1 |
QATAR | PAL B | 2 | |
REUNION | SECAM K1 | ||
RUMANIA | PAL D | PAL K | 2 |
RUSSIA | SECAM D | SECAM K | 5 |
RWANDA | SECAM K1 | 5 | |
SABAH/SAWARA | PAL B | ||
ST. KITTS | NTSC M | NTSC M | |
SAMOA (US) | NTSC M | 1 | |
SAUDI ARABIA | SECAM-B/PAL-B | SECAM G | 2 |
SENEGAL | PAL | 5 | |
SEYCHELLES | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
SIERRA LEONE | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
SINGAPORE | PAL B | PAL G | |
SLOVAK REPUBLIC | PAL | PAL | 2 |
SOMALIA | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
SOUTH AFRICA | PAL I | PAL I | 2 |
SPAIN | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
SRI LANKA | PAL B | 5 | |
SUDAN | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
SURINAM | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
SWAZILAND | PAL B | PAL G | |
SWEDEN | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
SWITZERLAND | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
SYRIA | SECAM B | 2 | |
TAHITI | SECAM K1 | ||
TAIWAN | NTSC M | NTSC M | 3 |
TANZANIA | PAL B | PAL B | 5 |
THAILAND | PAL B | 3 | |
TOGO | SECAM K | 5 | |
TRINIDAD TOBAGO | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
TUNISIA | SECAM B | 5 | |
TURKEY | PAL B | PAL G | |
UGANDA | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
| UKRAINE | PAL / SECAM D-K | 5 | |
UNITED ARAB EMIR. | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
| UNITED KINGDOM | PAL I | 2 | |
UPPER VOLTA | SECAM K1 | ||
URUGUAY | PAL N | PAL N | 4 |
USA | NTSC M | NTSC M | 1 |
VENEZUELA | NTSC M | NTSC M | 4 |
VIETNAM | PAL B | PAL G | 3 |
YEMEN | PAL B | 2 | |
YUGOSLAVIA | PAL B | PAL G | 2 |
ZAIRE | SECAM K1 | ||
ZAMBIA | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
ZIMBABWE | PAL B | PAL G | 5 |
| NTSC: National Television System Committee. Developed in the U.S., it was the world's first color TV system. Broadcast started in 1954. |
| Basic Parameters | NTSC M |
|---|---|
| line/field | 525/60 |
| horizontal frequency | 15.734 kHz |
| vertical frequency | 60 Hz |
| color subcarrier freq. | 3.579545 MHz |
| video bandwidth | 4.2 MHz |
| audio carrier | 4.5 MHz (FM) |
| PAL: Phase Alternation Line. Developed in Germany. Based in the NTSC system, it was modified to avoid color distortion. Broadcast started in 1967. |
| Basic Parameters | PAL B-G-H | PAL I | PAL D | PAL N | PAL M |
| line/field | 625/50 | 625/50 | 625/50 | 625/50 | 525/60 |
| horizontal frequency | 15.625 kHz | 15.625 kHz | 15.625 kHz | 15.625 kHz | 15.734 kHz |
| vertical frequency | 50 Hz | 50 Hz | 50 Hz | 50 Hz | 60 Hz |
| color subcarrier freq. | 4.433618 MHz | 4.433618 MHz. | 4.433618 MHz. | 3.582056 MHz. | 3.575611 MHz. |
| video bandwidth | 5.0 MHz | 5.5 MHz. | 6.0 MHz. | 4.2 MHz. | 4.2 MHz. |
| audio carrier | 5.5 MHz. (FM) | 6.0 MHz. | 6.5 MHz. | 4.5 MHz. | 4.5 MHz. |
SECAM: Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire. Developed in France. Broadcast started in 1967. |
| Basic Parameters | SECAM B-G-H | SECAM D-K-K1-L |
| line/field | 625/50 | 625/50 |
| horizontal frequency | 15.625 kHz. | 15.625 kHz. |
| vertical frequency | 50 Hz. | 50 Hz. |
| video bandwidth | 5.0 MHz | 6.0 MHz. |
| audio carrier | 5.5 MHz (FM) | 6.5 MHz (FM) except AM for SECAM L |
In general, these subsystems are used for broadcast in: |
| B | VHF |
| G | UHF |
| H | UHF |
| I | VHF/UHF |
| D | VHF |
| N | VHF/UHF |
| M | VHF/UHF |
| K | UHF |
| K1 | VHF/UHF |
| L | VHF/UHF |
| PLAYBACK SYSTEMS: The following are not broadcast systems, butplayback systems that can be found on some VCRs. | MESECAM: | |
PAL-60: | ||
NTSC 4.43: | ||