Section Headings
In addition to the basic TV systems, there are a number of additional
hybrid formats which are to be found only in video equipment.
These are usually a hybrid signal used to provide compatibility with
video material of another TV format without a complete translation.
Many of these signals are not symetric in that they cannot be recorded
by video recorders that can play them.
Name
| Frame/Field
| Scan
| Colour
| Sub-carrier
|
Rate
| Lines
| Systems
| Freq.
|
NTSC 4.43
| 29.97/59.94
| 525
| NTSC
| 4.43MHz
|
Pseudo-PAL
| 29.97/59.94
| 525
| PAL
| 4.43MHz
|
Pseudo-NTSC
| 25/50
| 625
| NTSC
| 3.58MHz
|
For a range of reasons, some of them historical and some of them technical,
the main video formats aren't the same in each colour system.
There are actually some very dramatic differences in both the availability
and maximum running times between the main TV standards.
A much more detailed table of video formats including
the professional ones is also available - this also includes more
technical information on each format.
The table below summarises these:
Format
| Scan Lines
| Speed
| Max Playing
|
/Colour
| Time/Tape
|
VHS
| 525/NTSC
| SP
| 160 mins/T-160
|
LP
| 320 mins/T-160
|
EP
| 480 mins/T-160
|
625/PAL
| SP
| 300 mins/E-300
|
LP
| 600 mins/E-300
|
625/SECAM
| SP
| 300 mins/E-300
|
LP
| 600 mins/E-300
|
SuperVHS
| 525/NTSC
| SP
| 160 mins/ST-160
|
EP
| 480 mins/ST-160
|
625/PAL
| SP
| 240 mins/SE-240
|
LP
| 480 mins/SE-240
|
D-VHS
| 525/NTSC
| N/A
| Varies
|
DVC
| 525/NTSC
| miniDV
| 60 mins
|
DVC
| 180 mins
|
625/PAL
| miniDV
| 60 mins
|
DVC
| 180 mins
|
Video 8
| 525/NTSC
| SP
| 120 mins/P6-120
|
LP
| 240 mins/P6-120
|
625/PAL
| SP
| 90 mins/P5-90
|
LP
| 180 mins/P5-90
|
625/SECAM
| SP
| 90 mins/P5-90
|
LP
| 180 mins/P5-90
|
Hi-8
| 525/NTSC
| SP
| 120 mins/P6-120ME
|
LP
| 240 mins/P6-120ME
|
625/PAL
| SP
| 90 mins/P5-90ME
|
LP
| 180 mins/P5-90ME
|
LaserDisc
| 525/NTSC
| CAV
| 30 mins per side
|
CLV
| 60 mins per side
|
625/PAL
| CAV
| 37 mins per side
|
CLV
| 72 mins per side
|
DVD
| 525/NTSC
| Single Layer
| Varies (4.7GB)
|
Dual Layer
| Varies (8.6GB)
|
625/NTSC
| Single Layer
| Varies (4.7GB)
|
Dual Layer
| Varies (8.6GB)
|
Notes:
- SECAM SuperVHS, Hi-8 and LaserDisc are all recorded on tape/disc
as PAL signals and are converted to SECAM on playback by those machines
sold in SECAM markets.
The differences between the running speed of VCRs of the same format
in different colour systems has led to some very confusing naming of
video tape lengths.
Beta is unique in having named the tape after the length rather than
it prospective running time, thus making it free of the problems that
beset other formats.
In the table below, we compare the actual lengths of some standard
tape types.
Name
| TV system
| Actual Length
| Running time
|
Own System
| Other System
|
SuperVHS/VHS
|
ST/T-120
| NTSC/525
| 250 metres
| 120 mins
| 175 mins
|
SE/E-180
| PAL/625
| 258 metres
| 180 mins
| 126 mins
|
Hi-8/Video 8
|
P6-120
| NTSC/525
| 112 metres
| 120 mins
| 90 mins
|
P5-90
| PAL/625
| 112 metres
| 90 mins
| 120 mins
|
|