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?
Contents
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.

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