This article explains why the NTSC and PAL standards still matter.
In film, the whole image displays at once.
These rows display in either an interlaced or progressive format.
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Interlacing or interlaced scansplits the lines into two fields.
Progressive scandisplays rows sequentially instead of transmitting rows as two alternate fields.
This means both odd and even-numbered lines or pixel rows display in numerical sequence.
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The number of vertical lines or pixel rows dictates the image detail.
The more lines in an image, the more detail.
The number of lines is fixed within a system.
NTSC and PAL
The two main analog video systems are NTSC and PAL.
Each frame is transmitted in two fields of 262 lines or pixel rows that display alternately (interlaced).
The two fields are combined, so each frame displays with 525 lines or pixel rows.
PAL is the dominant format in the world for analog TV broadcasting and analog video display.
It’s a 625 line or pixel row, 50 fields with 25 frames a second, 50Hz system.
Like NTSC, the signal is interlaced into two fields, composed of 312 lines or pixel rows each.
However, PAL has a slightly higher resolution and better color stability than NTSC.
DVDs are still made in either the NTSC or PAL formats.
TVs that are 4K-compliant must support analog video formats as long as analog video playback devices are in use.
Eventually, you may no longer use analog video devices, but that day isn’t there quite yet.
