What are NTSC/PAL/SECAM and why should I care?
NTSC (National Television Standards Committee), PAL (Phase Alternating Lines) and SECAM (SEquentiel Couleur Avec Memoire) are different worldwide, generally incompatible television standards. Some short, not completely accurate information follows. what where freq/frames/scan lines —- —– ———————- NTSC US/Japan 60hz/30/525 PAL Europe 50hz/25/625 SECAM France & many others 50hz/25/625 For detailed and accurate (but muddled) information, see the Worldwide TV standards page. Why is this information important? Different carts will exhibit different characteristics based on what kind of TV and console are used. For example, a PAL cart on an NTSC console and TV will roll the screen and exhibit a strange color scheme. An adjustable vertical hold is a must in these situations. The console compatibility FAQ details much of this information for the Atari 2600/5200/7800 and other consoles as well.
NTSC (National Television Standards Committee), PAL (Phase Alternating Lines) and SECAM (SEquentiel Couleur Avec Memoire) are different worldwide, generally incompatible television standards. Some short, not completely accurate information follows. what where freq/frames/scan lines —- —– ———————- NTSC US/Japan 60hz/30/525 PAL Europe 50hz/25/625 SECAM France & many others 50hz/25/625 For detailed and accurate (but muddled) information, see the Worldwide TV standards page (http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/contrib/WorldTV).
