Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a colour encoding system for analog television. It was one of three major analogue colour television standards, the others being NTSC and SECAM. In most countries it was broadcast at 625 lines, 50 fields per second, and associated with CCIR analogue broadcast television systems B, D, G, H, I or K. The articles on analog broadcast television systems further describe frame rates, image resolution, and audio modulation.
Un-decoded PAL image, showing chroma information as fine patterns chroma dots (click to zoom) overlapping the luma signal
Decoded PAL image, with chroma fully recovered. Some minor artifacts (see dot crawl) are present across transition areas (click to zoom)
A waterfall display showing a 20ms long interlaced PAL frame with high FFT resolution
Analyzing a PAL signal and decoding the 20ms frame and 64µs lines
Analog television is the original television technology that uses analog signals to transmit video and audio. In an analog television broadcast, the brightness, colors and sound are represented by amplitude, phase and frequency of an analog signal.
Early monochrome analog receiver with large dials for volume control and channel selection, and smaller ones for fine-tuning, brightness, contrast, and horizontal and vertical hold adjustments.
Analog television system by nation
Close up image of analog color screen
A waterfall display showing a 20 ms long interlaced PAL frame with high FFT resolution
