© Mr.Mikla / Shutterstock.com
The video formats on televisions and other display devices have improved over the years thanks to technological advancements. Right now, 4K screens are giving viewers an incredible movie experience. From the black and white TVs to the new colored 4K screens, we can all attest to the remarkable changes in this industry. While conversing about TVs, we cannot ignore the two video formats that have brought these differences about. In short, NTSC and PAL have improved the content shown in HDTVs as well as analog televisions.
Viewers are subject to using NTSC in some areas, while others can only access PAL. Unless you have adequate knowledge of these two video formats, distinguishing between them is quite a challenge. In this article, we will explore the key differences and similarities between these two color coding systems. Read on for more details.
PAL vs. NTSC: Side-By-Side Comparisons
| NTSC | PAL | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | National Television System Committee | Phase Alternating Line |
| Frames Per Second | 29.97 | 25 |
| Video Bandwidth | 4.2MHz | 5MHz |
| Audio Carrier | 4.5MHz | 5.5MHz |
| Lines/Field | 525/60 | 625/50 |
| Countries Using this Standard | Central America, North America, South Korea, Japan, Myanmar, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Parts of South America | China, Western Europe, the U.K., India, Sweden, Australia, most of Africa, and elsewhere. |
| Vertical Frequency | 60Hz | 50Hz |
| Horizontal Frequency | 15.734kHz | 15.625kHz |
| Color Subcarrier Frequency | 3.579545MHz | 4.433618MHz |
©iStock.com/haizon
PAL vs. NTSC: What Are the Differences?
Read on for a brief description of PAL and NTSC, followed by a detailed comparison of the two across several categories.
What is NTSC Format?
NTSC is a color encoding format used for broadcasting television in Japan, parts of South America, and North America. When several firms in the US began broadcasting encoding colors to their viewers’ homes, the switch from black-and-white to colored display failed terribly. The conflict between these video formats, which made it impossible for black-and-white televisions to interpret the color signals, caused this. In 1953, the National Television System Committee created the NTSC format, and its compatibility rate with most televisions was high.
What is PAL Format?
PAL is the color encoding system that broadcasts on televisions in Africa, Europe, parts of South America, Oceania, and Asia. In late 1950, the PAL format was developed to address several issues displayed by the NTSC system. For instance, NTSC systems performed poorly in bad weather conditions. The PAL format deals with this issue by reversing second-line signals in order to eradicate emerging errors. It is also a suitable option for over-the-air broadcasting, unlike NTSC.
Why Do These Standards Still Exist?
Every issue that was to be solved by NTSC and PAL doesn’t exist anymore. However, DVDs, Blu-rays, and other media still come with the NTSC or PAL label. Although digital HDTVs can bypass PAL and NTSC standards, these video formats are required to set the base levels on the number of frames to be displayed per second.
Modern displays and TV sets also use the timings, resolutions, and other parameters of these video standards. In addition, these video formats add extra protection that hinders the illegal distribution of video games, movies, and television shows in some regions. The region-restricted video formats are very effective to the point that every distribution center is named either PAL or NTSC.
What’s the Difference?
Resolution Lines
Each of these two standards has different resolution lines. NTSC has 525, but only 480 lines (480i) appear vividly. In contrast, PAL has 625 lines, but only 576 (576i) are visible. Further, the color info phase in PAL video signals is inverted in every line. This reversal corrects the phase errors emanating from the signal transmission to create high-quality images. Nonetheless, there will be a loss of vertical color resolution, and some colors on adjacent lines will become blurry, although the human eye won’t notice them.
Color Encoding
The tint color correction for NTSC receivers is operated manually. When NTSC is highly saturated, the hue colors will be more visible, so it is essential to adjust it. On the other hand, PAL automatically manages colors. It can eradicate hue errors using the color signal phase alteration. Pal is also effective in getting rid of chrominance phase errors without human interference.
Picture Quality
NTSC comprises 525 resolution lines. The more the resolution lines, the higher the picture quality. In total, PAL has 625 resolution lines, and it releases 50 lines per second. That means it produces 25 alternating lines and 25 frames per second, leading to a speedy display. Therefore, there is no doubt the picture quality of PAL is better than NTSC.
FPS (Frames-Per-Second)
FPS also reveals a vital difference between these two video formats because PAL has 25FPS, while NTSC has 29.97FPS. That enables this video format to deal with issues emerging due to some televisions’ inability to interpret brightness and color signals properly. The regions using PAL produce a 50Hz frequency, which perfectly explains why their FPS is 25.
NTSC and PAL in Gaming
PAL and NTSC also play a crucial role in gaming. Older game consoles must be paired with TV sets using analog video output. For example, the Super Nintendo meant for Australia, which is PAL, cannot work on US televisions that use NTSC because of the coding differences.
These days, the picture quality between PAL and NTSC games does not matter. However, the frequencies in various regions affect the gaming experience for PAL and NTSC formats. At 50Hz, PAL games often have complications that ruin the gaming experience.
This frequency forces PAL games to operate at a very low frame rate compared to NTSC games, and that adversely affects the gameplay. In the worst-case scenario, they either remove or change the game’s content. NTSC games can thrive in either of these two zones. Here are some NTSC games that deliver better gaming than their PAL versions.
Game Examples
- Super Metroid: Many gamers have converted this game to PAL. Unfortunately, the PAL version is very slow compared to the exceptionally smooth NTSC version. After playing the NTSC game, testing the PAL version will be a worse experience as it eliminates the thrill due to its slowness.
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Playing this game on a PAL console is unthinkable because of the reduced character momentum and speed. It is challenging to control Sonic because the PAL release is extremely slow. Therefore, instead of the character while making quick sprints and runs, it will appear as if he is jogging. In short, this makes the PAL game boring.
- Fatal Fury Special: Although this game was meant for a 32-meg cartridge specifically for NTSC, the PAL version came in a 24-meg cartridge. By shedding the extra space, the PAL version lost some content. The PAL game lacks five levels and some characters.
- Tekken 3: PAL has always had problems with fighting games. Nowadays, this doesn’t seem to be an issue. Sony released PAL versions of several games like Tekken 3. Unfortunately, this game lacks the stability and fluidity of its NTSC counterpart. Therefore, it is highly unlikely you will enjoy it in PAL.
- Devil May Cry: The PAL version of this game was a complete disaster as it could not handle its scope. The image on the screen is stretched, the gameplay isn’t good, and the screen has thick black borders. Moreover, PAL cannot accommodate the fast reflexes used in this game.
Why Do Modern Cameras Lack NTSC/PAL Options?
NTSC and PAL play crucial roles in standard transmission and broadcasting. Right now, they are hardly ever used. Further, with the emergence of modern high-definition and digital cameras, these standards don’t apply. Due to this development, it is rare to see these options on video cameras.
The world is fast changing, and every country that used to be PAL or NTSC zones now uses HD/UHD and other digital standards. Only the frame rates still cause the difference between these two video formats. Rather than providing options for switching from NTSC to PAL, most cameras allow users to switch between 60Hz and 50Hz. You can sometimes see the words “NTSC Area” or “PAL Area” on your camera. These settings don’t change the camera’s video format; rather, it sets it up for use in NTSC and PAL zones.
How to Convert NTSC Files to PAL and Vice Versa
After discovering that your country doesn’t support the standard of your video, what can you do? Besides buying another one, which is a costlier option, you can consider converting it. This is possible with the use of a video conversion program. Of course, not all converters have this ability. Movavi Video Converter is widely used for this task. After installing this program, you can upload the video and preset it to PAL or NTSC. This process doesn’t require professional help. You can find step-by-step tutorials and videos online on how to convert these video formats.
©Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock.com
PAL vs. NTSC: Must-Know Facts
- It is possible to decode PAL with two NTSC decoders.
- Games created for NTSC consoles and not correctly ported to PAL will run slowly, causing dissatisfaction for gamers.
- NTSC and PAL have divergent color spaces.
- The frequencies of PAL and NTSC are still restricted in certain areas.
- Both NTSC and PAL systems work by dividing each television frame into two fields, each containing half of the lines that make up the image.
- NTSC is EBU compliant, and PAL supports SMPTE 498.3.
- NTSC is popular in South and North America.
- PAL is supported in China, Western Europe, the U.K., India, Sweden, Australia, and most of Africa.
PAL vs. NTSC: Which One is Better?
When choosing between PAL and NTSC, you must consider factors such as your location and audience. First, some regions are restricted to using either PAL or NTSC formats. If you need a video for such restricted areas, it must have the accepted standards. For example, an NTSC video won’t be the best choice if your target audience is in a PAL zone.
However, if you are targeting a global audience, it is advisable to use NTSC. Most PAL VCRs and DVDs can play NTSC videos. However, NTSC devices cannot play PAL content. Due to this fact, NTSC is the best choice because it will reach a wider audience.
