Secam?

[Mikeblu]

Ok I know the basics between the differences in PAL and NTSC. (PAL 720x576 at 50Hz and NTSC 720x480 at 60hz) but whats the difference with SECAM?

[WriteSimply]

Go to Wiki and do a search.


fuad

[Elandyll]

SECAM is (was hehe) a French TV standard adopted early by several countries where the French influence is -was- (like in Africa) present and also others (like some Eastern European countries) by choice.

Technically, Secam differs only just a bit from PAL (if you try to read a PAL tape on a Secam player, you get a picture, but in B&W) but is radically different in its applications.

Of the three formats, Secam is known to be technically the best for diffusion, and PAL for editing (with NTSC, I am sorry to say, being the worst due to its color treatment).
Because of the lack of support in the professional AV world and very few countries carrying it, Secam has ben dying a slow death and is being phased out for PAL standard (all French TVs have been dual standard PAL/ SECAM ..forever now hehe, at least 15+ years), specially with the arrival of Digital TV 2-3 years aggo in France.

From the point of view of a Video editor (me) that started to work in France before moving to the US, let me tell you that Secam is a b*tch when a client arrives with a Secam tape and asks you to edit it on your equipment (all PAL). Glad it's going the dodo way