PAL VS NTSC – Which is Better?

If you’re confused as to the difference between PAL and NTSC, this post will quickly answer the question : PAL vs NTSC – which is better?

NTSC

NTSC stands for National Television System Committee.

It’s a broadcast format with a colour encoding system used in countries such as United States of America, Japan and majority of South America.

NTSC offers 30 frames per second at a resolution of 720 x 480.

PAL

PAL stands for Phase Alternating Line.

It’s a broadcast format used in some Asian, European countries including UK and in Australia and Sweden.

PAL offers 25 frames per second with a resolution of 720 x 576.

Which Has Better Picture Quality? PAL or NTSC ?

PAL offers 50 fields per second. Why? Europe uses a 50 Hertz power supply.

50 fields per second equals 25 alternating lines which equals 25 frames per second.

This means that picture motion is displayed faster.

A lower frame rate means PAL has more horizontal lines than NTSC.

PAL has 625 horizontal lines compared to NTSC’s 525 lines.

Based on this, PAL offers a better picture quality and resolution.

Does NTSC vs PAL Matter Today?

In this days of digital television where analog video takes a back seat, the difference between them is very much less pronounced.

The main difference is in the refresh rates between the two systems.

When we talk about HDTVs, PAL offers a refresh rate of 25 times a second. NTSC, as you would have guessed, 30 times a second.

The difference in image quality is hardly noticeable to the naked eye though.