PAL stands for Phase Alternating Line. It is a color encoding system for analogue television used in many countries worldwide.
In more detail, PAL is a video format standard primarily used in Europe, South America, Africa, and parts of Asia. It's an alternative to other analog TV systems such as NTSC (used in North America and Japan) and SECAM. Key characteristics of the PAL standard include:
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625 Lines: PAL displays images with 625 horizontal lines per frame, providing a higher vertical resolution than NTSC's 525 lines.
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25 Frames Per Second (fps): PAL operates at a frame rate of 25 frames per second, which translates to 50 interlaced fields per second.
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Phase Alternation: The "Phase Alternating Line" aspect refers to how the PAL system reverses the phase of the color signal on alternating lines, helping to cancel out phase errors that can distort color.
While analog television is largely being replaced by digital standards like DVB and ATSC, PAL remains relevant in understanding the history of television technology and legacy equipment.
