What Is PAL Format DVD?

DVDs come in a number of different formats, which are used in different parts of the world. The PAL format is used in a large portion of the world but not in the United States.

What is PAL?

PAL stands for Phase Alternating Line, which is a television encoding system that is used in many countries throughout the world. PAL is an analog system. A PAL DVD is simply a DVD that uses the PAL encoding system. The United States uses the NTSC encoding system instead of PAL.

Development of PAL

Western European countries were introducing color television in the 1950s and were looking for a way to overcome the weaknesses of NTSC. Color tone shifting was common under weak transmissions. This led to the development of both SECAM and PAL, which were attempts to develop a standard for a 50-fields-per-second picture frequency.

DVD Players

PAL DVDS use a 625-line/50HZ line count and frame rate system compared to a 525-line/60HZ system used by NTSC DVDs. The formats are not compatible and you must have a DVD player that plays the same format. A multi-region DVD player will play a number of different DVD formats.

Where is PAL Used?

PAL is currently used in over 120 countries around the world. Australia, New Zealand, and most of Europe and Africa use the PAL system. There are a number of different versions of PAL but they are interoperable.

Invention of PAL

Walter Bruch developed PAL for Telefunken in Germany. It was put into use starting in 1963. The first broadcasts using PAL were in the United Kingdom in 1963. Thomson, a French electronics company bought Telefunken. Thomson also owns a large stake in RCA, which was the company that developed the NTSC standard in the United States.

References

• DVD Demystified