We know
that video systems can be very confusing. There are so many
formats, it is
difficult to know which one is compatible with which.
Throughout the world, the main systems are PAL (used
in the UK , Germany, Australia),
Secam (France and the Middle East etc.), and NTSC
(USA, Canada, Japan etc).
Generally, these formats are not compatible with each other
with the exception that
many modern PAL VCR’s will play back NTSC tapes. So if
you are sending an American VHS video (NTSC format)
to the UK,you will probably find that the recipient will be
able to play it without any special equipment.
A
full
list of systems for video cassettes in
different countries is provided below.
A variation of Secam, 'Middle East Secam' or 'MESECAM' is used
in many Middle East countries (except Kuwait which is PAL)
but they should be able to play SECAM or even PAL. The other
anomaly is Brazil, which uses a
variation of PAL, but in most cases VCR’s in that country can
play NTSC.
|
A |
|
AFGHANISTAN |
PAL |
ANTILLES |
NTSC |
|
ALBANIA |
PAL |
ARGENTINA |
PAL |
|
ALGERIA |
PAL |
AUSTRALIA |
PAL |
|
ANGOLA |
PAL |
AUSTRIA |
PAL |
|
ANTIGUA |
NTSC |
|
|
|
B |
|
BAHAMAS |
NTSC |
BOTSWANA |
PAL |
|
BAHRAIN |
PAL |
BRAZIL |
PAL-M
UNIQUE SYSTEM - May be able to play NTSC |
|
BANGLADESH |
PAL |
BRUNEI |
PAL |
|
BARBADOS |
NTSC |
BULGARIA |
SECAM |
|
BELGIUM |
PAL |
BURKINA FASO |
SECAM |
|
BENIN |
SECAM |
BURMA |
NTSC |
|
BERMUDA |
NTSC |
BURUNDI |
SECAM |
|
BOLIVIA |
NTSC |
|
|
|
C |
|
CAMEROON |
PAL |
COLUMBIA |
NTSC |
|
CANADA |
NTSC |
CONGO |
SECAM |
|
CAYMAN
ISLANDS |
NTSC |
COSTA RICA |
NTSC |
|
CENTRAL
AFRICAN REP. |
SECAM |
CUBA |
NTSC |
|
CHAD |
SECAM |
CYPRUS |
SECAM |
|
CHILE |
NTSC |
CZECHOSLOVAKIA |
SECAM |
|
CHINA |
PAL |
|
|
|
D |
|
DENMARK |
PAL |
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC |
NTSC |
|
DJIBOUTI |
SECAM |
|
|
|
E |
|
ECUADOR |
NTSC |
EL SALVADOR |
NTSC |
|
EGYPT |
SECAM |
ETHIOPIA |
PAL |
|
F |
|
FINLAND |
PAL |
FRANCE |
SECAM |
|
G |
|
GABON |
SECAM |
GREECE |
SECAM |
|
GERMANY |
PAL |
GUAM |
NTSC |
|
GHANA |
PAL |
GUATEMALA |
NTSC |
|
GIBRALTAR |
PAL |
GUINEA |
SECAM |
|
H |
|
HAITI |
NTSC |
HONG
KONG |
PAL |
|
HAWAII |
NTSC |
HUNGARY |
SECAM |
|
HONDURAS |
NTSC |
|
|
|
I |
|
ICELAND |
PAL |
IRAQ |
SECAM |
|
INDIA |
PAL |
ISRAEL |
PAL |
|
INDONESIA |
PAL |
ITALY |
PAL |
|
IRAN |
SECAM |
IVORY COAST |
SECAM |
|
J |
|
JORDAN |
PAL |
|
|
|
K |
|
KENYA |
PAL |
KUWAIT |
PAL |
|
L |
|
LEBANON |
SECAM |
LIBYA |
SECAM |
|
LESOTHO |
PAL |
LUXEMBOURG |
PAL &
SECAM |
|
LIBERIA |
PAL |
|
|
|
M |
|
MADAGASCAR |
SECAM |
MAURITIUS |
SECAM |
|
MALAYSIA |
PAL |
MEXICO |
NTSC |
|
MALDIVES |
PAL |
MONGOLIA |
PAL |
|
MALI |
SECAM |
MOROCCO |
SECAM |
|
MALTA |
PAL |
MOZAMBIQUE |
SECAM |
|
MAURITANIA |
SECAM |
|
|
|
N |
|
NEPAL |
PAL |
NIGER |
SECAM |
|
NETHERLANDS |
PAL |
NIGERIA |
PAL |
|
NEW ZEALAND |
PAL |
NORWAY |
PAL |
|
NICARAGUA |
NTSC |
|
|
|
O |
|
OMAN |
PAL |
|
|
|
P |
|
PAKISTAN |
PAL |
PHILIPPINES |
NTSC |
|
PANAMA |
NTSC |
POLAND |
SECAM |
|
PARAGUAY |
PAL |
PORTUGAL |
PAL |
|
PERU |
NTSC |
PUERTO
RICO |
NTSC |
|
Q |
|
QATAR |
PAL |
|
|
|
R |
|
RUMANIA |
PAL |
RWANDA |
SECAM |
|
RUSSIA |
SECAM |
|
|
|
S |
|
SAUDI ARABIA |
SECAM |
SRI LANKA |
PAL |
|
SENEGAL |
SECAM |
SUDAN |
PAL |
|
SIERRA
LEONE |
PAL |
SURINAM |
NTSC |
|
SINGAPORE |
PAL |
SWAZILAND |
PAL |
|
SOUTH AFRICA |
PAL |
SWEDEN |
PAL |
|
SOUTH KOREA |
NTSC |
SWITZERLAND |
PAL |
|
SPAIN |
PAL |
SYRIA |
SECAM |
|
T |
|
TAHITI |
SECAM |
TOGO |
SECAM |
|
TAIWAN |
NTSC |
TRINIDAD
& TOBAGO |
NTSC |
|
TANZANIA |
PAL |
TUNISIA |
SECAM |
|
THAILAND |
PAL |
TURKEY |
PAL |
|
U |
|
UNITED
ARAB EMIRATES |
PAL |
URUGUAY |
PAL |
|
UGANDA |
PAL |
USA |
NTSC |
|
UNITED KINGDOM |
PAL |
|
|
|
V |
|
VENEZUELA |
NTSC |
VIRGIN
ISLANDS |
NTSC |
|
Y |
|
YEMEN |
PAL |
Former
YUGOSLAVIA |
PAL |
|
Z |
|
ZAIRE |
PAL |
ZANZIBAR |
PAL |
|
ZAMBIA |
PAL |
ZIMBABWE |
PAL |
|
