I often hear these abbreviations while talking about regionalisation in gaming.
I think PAL is from Europe, and NTSC in North America, but what do these two abbreviations stand for and mean?
What do the PAL and NTSC abbreviations stand for
terminology
Best Answer
These are the two most common video standards used in the world. While VHS video format is the same throughout the world, video standard or electronic signals that are recorded on the cassette varies from country to country. See more here.
Another way to describe them: NTSC and PAL are two color encoding systems that affect the visual quality of content viewed on analog TVs, and to a much smaller degree, the content on HDTVs.
NTSC (National Television System Committee) is the video system or standard used in North America and most of South America. In NTSC, 30 frames are transmitted per second, with each frame being made up of 525 individual scan lines. The resolution is 720x480 and it offers manual color correction.
PAL (Phase Alternating Line) is the main video system or standard used in most other parts of the world. In PAL, 25 frames are transmitted per second, with each frame being made up of 625 individual scan lines. The resolution is 720x576 and it offers automated color correction.
There is technically a third standard, SECAM, that is used in France and some other Eastern European countries.