PAL to NTSC Guide

PAL (Phase Alternating Line) is a video format used in much of the Far East, Europe, Africa, and South American countries. NTSC (National Television System Commitee) is the paradigm currently used in North America, in some South American countries and other select Asian nations such as Japan. SECAM is another standard used in certain African countries, and a select few World powers like France and Russia.

How Do I Know If I Need a Converter?

If you've brought video equipment accross international borders, you're mixing it with foreign equipment, and you're suddenly experiencing faulty colors (or just black and white), a picture that scrolls up or down really fast constantly, and/or the picture isn't quite fitting perfectly to your screen's native resolution, you probably need a PAL/NTSC conversion.

What is the Difference between PAL and NTSC?

There are three main differences between PAL and NTSC: resolution (measured in pixels), refresh rate (measured in hertz or Hz), and color format.

PAL's 576i at 50Hz vs. NTSC's 480i at 60Hz

PAL is a 625-line resolution (576i) that refreshes 50 fields per second (50 Hz) and NTSC is a 525-line resolution (480i) that refreshes 60 fields per second (60 Hz). The difference between the two resolutions will cause a slight cut of information when using PAL video source with an NTSC TV because NTSC's resolution (field of pixels) is smaller. Also, if your TV only accepts NTSC's 60 Hz and you're using a PAL video source at 50 Hz, it will cause that effect on your screen where everything is scrolling up or down quickly. Some TVs support both refresh rates, and so a PAL video source won't look too terrible without a converter at all: it will probably look like a black and white picture that barely doesn't fit your screen.

PAL's Hue Correction vs. NTSC's Tint Control

Color is a complex animal, and since PAL and NTSC handle it differently, there are usually problems when using a PAL video source with an NTSC TV. PAL automatically removes color hue errors while NTSC relies on TVs to perform "tint control." This discrepency is what is responsible for colors not showing up correctly when formats are crossed.

Atlona's PAL to NTSC Does It All (including SECAM)

If you're looking for a perfect and comprehensive conversion, and chances are you are whether you know it or not, we highly recommend the Atlona PAL to NTSC model that also converts SECAM. Atlona's model handles all three issues: it scales the resolution to fit your screen no matter if you're running PAL, NTSC, or SECAM, it will convert your video source's refresh frequencies to fit your TV, and will convert the color processing method for either PAL, NTSC, or SECAM sources and displays. Atlona's converter is digital and so can more easily house all of these functions under one roof, whereas most less expensive solutions are analog and only perform one or two of the three necessary conversions for a perfect finished product. The chipset employed is also superior, being the NEC chip for impressive scaling capabilities.

Mayflash PAL to NTSC: A Great Value For Some

You've probably noticed by now the giant difference in cost for these two suggested units. The Mayflash PAL to NTSC only handles one of the three main conversions: color. This makes the Mayflash model cost efficient for select users. If your TV can handle both 50Hz and 60Hz, then Mayflash will make up the difference with the color correction. The resolution will still remain a little off, but the amount of video cut off the edges usually doesn't bother most casual video watchers. The best way to tell if the Mayflash unit will work for you is by simply connecting your PAL source to your NTSC TV and seeing if color is the only major issue. If so, and if you can live with the resolution being off only so slightly, we suggest you use this model.