| System | Name | Description |
| NTSC | VHS-NTSC | The first colour television system implemented in the USA in 1953 by the National Television System Committee (NTSC). It produces 525 lines per frame. Also known in the trade as "Never The Same Color twice!" |
| PAL | VHS-PAL | The Phase Alternating Line system (PAL) was introduced in the 60s in most European countries apart from France. PAL uses a wider bandwidth than NTSC, which allows 625 lines per frame and consecuently a better quality image. |
| SECAM | VHS-SECAM | The Sequential Colour With Memory system (SECAM) was introduced in France in the 60s. SECAM uses the same bandwidth as PAL, but transmits the colour information sequentially. SECAM uses 625 lines per frame. |
| Systems by Country | |
| Country | Colour system |
| ABU DHABI | PAL |
| AFGHANISTAN | PAL/SECAM(H) |
| ALASKA | NTSC |
| ALBANIA | PAL |
| ALGERIA | PAL |
| AMERICAN SAMOA | NTSC |
| ANDORRA | SECAM(V)/PAL |
| ANGOLA | PAL |
| ANTIGUA | NTSC |
| ANTILLES (DUTCH) | NTSC |
| ARGENTINA | PAL-N |
| ARUBA | NTSC |
| ASCENSION ISLAND | PAL |
| AUSTRALIA | PAL |
| AUSTRIA | PAL |
| AZORES | SECAM(H) |
| AZERBAIJAN | PAL |
| BAHAMAS | NTSC |
| BAHRAIN | PAL |
| BANGLADESH | PAL |
| BARBADOS | NTSC |
| BARBUDA | NTSC |
| BELARUS | SECAM |
| BELGIUM | PAL |
| BELIZE | NTSC |
| BENIN | SECAM(V) |
| BERMUDA | NTSC |
| BOLIVIA | |
| BOSNIA HERZEGOVINIA | NTSC M N |
| BOTSWANA | PAL |
| BHUTAN | PAL |
| BRAZIL | PAL M |
| BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS | NTSC |
| BRUNEI | PAL |
| BULGARIA | SECAM(H) |
| BURKINA FASO | SECAM(V) |
| BURMA | NTSC |
| BURUNDI | SECAM(V) |
| CAMBODIA (KAMPUCHEA) | SECAM(V) |
| CAMEROON | PAL |
| CANADA | NTSC |
| CANARY ISLANDS | PAL |
| CAPE VERDE | PAL |
| CAYMEN ISLANDS | PAL/NTSC |
| CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC | SECAM |
| CHAD | SECAM(V) |
| CHILE | NTSC |
| CHINA (PEOPLES REPUBLIC) | PAL |
| CHRISTMAS ISLAND | PAL |
| COLUMBIA | NTSC |
| CONGO (PEOPLES REPUBLIC) | SECAM(V) |
| COOK ISLAND | PAL |
| CORSICA | SECAM(V) |
| COSTA RICA | NTSC |
| CROATIA | PAL |
| CUBA | NTSC |
| CURACAO | NTSC |
| CYPRUS | PAL |
| CYPRUS (TURKISH) | PAL |
| CZECH REPUBLIC (NOVA) | PAL |
| CZECH REPUBLIC (CT1, CT2 & PRIMA) | SECAM(H) |
| DAHOMEY | SECAM |
| DENMARK | PAL |
| DIEGO GARCIA | NTSC |
| DJIBOUTI | SECAM(V) |
| DOMINICA | NTSC |
| DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | NTSC |
| DUBAI | PAL |
| EASTER ISLAND | PAL |
| ECUADOR | NTSC |
| EGYPT | PAL |
| EGYPT | SECAM/PAL |
| EL SALVADOR | NTSC |
| EQUATORIAL GUINEA | SECAM(V) |
| ERITREA | PAL |
| ESTONIA | SECAM(H) |
| ETHIOPIA | PAL |
| FALKLAND ISLANDS | PAL |
| FAROE ISLANDS | PAL |
| FIJI | PAL |
| FINLAND | PAL |
| FRANCE | SECAM(V) |
| GABON | SECAM(V) |
| GALAPAGOS ISLAND | NTSC |
| GAMBIA | PAL |
| GAZA & WEST BANK | PAL |
| GEORGIA | SECAM(H) |
| GERMANY | PAL |
| GHANA | PAL |
| GIBRALTAR | PAL |
| GREECE | SECAM/PAL |
| GREENLAND | NTSC/PAL |
| GRENADA | NTSC |
| GUADELOUPE | SECAM(V) |
| GUAM | NTSC |
| GUATEMALA | NTSC |
| GUINEA | PAL |
| GUINEA-BISSAU | PAL |
| GUYANA | NTSC |
| GUYANA FRENCH | SECAM(V) |
| HAITI | NTSC |
| HAWAII | NTSC |
| HOLLAND | PAL |
| HONDURAS | NTSC |
| HONG KONG | PAL |
| HUNGARY | SECAM/PAL |
| ICELAND | PAL |
| INDIA | PAL |
| INDONESIA | PAL |
| IRAN | SECAM(H) |
| IRAQ | SECAM(H) |
| IRELAND | PAL |
| ISRAEL | PAL |
| ITALY | PAL |
| IVORY COAST | SECAM(V) |
| JAMAICA | NTSC |
| JAPAN | NTSC |
| JOHNSTON ISLANDS | NTSC |
| JORDAN | PAL |
| KAMPUCHEA | SECAM(V) |
| KAZAKHSTAN | SECAM(H) |
| KENYA | PAL |
| KIRIBATI | (PAL)?? |
| KOREA NORTH | SECAM |
| KOREA SOUTH | NTSC |
| KUWAIT | PAL |
| KYRGYZSTAN | SECAM(H) |
| LAOS | PAL-M |
| LATVIA | PAL |
| LATVIA | SECAM |
| LEBANON | PAL |
| LEEWARD ISLANDS | NTSC |
| LESOTHO | PAL |
| LIBERIA | PAL |
| LIBYA | SECAM |
| LIECHTENSTEIN | PAL |
| LITHUANIA | PAL |
| LITHUANIA | SECAM(H) |
| LUXEMBOURG | PAL |
| LUXEMBOURG | SECAM |
| MACAU | PAL |
| MACEDONIA | PAL |
| MADAGASCAR | SECAM(V) |
| MADEIRA | PAL |
| MALAWI | PAL |
| MALAYSIA | PAL |
| MALDIVES | PAL |
| MALI | SECAM(V) |
| MARIANA ISLANDS | PAL |
| MALTA | NTSC |
| MARSHALL ISLANDS | NTSC |
| MARTINIQUE | SECAM(V) |
| MAURITANIA | SECAM(V) |
| MAURITIUS | SECAM(V) |
| MEXICO | NTSC |
| MICRONESIA | NTSC |
| MIDWAY ISLANDS | NTSC |
| MONACO | SECAM(V)/PAL |
| MONTENEGRO | SECAM(V) |
| MONGOLIA | PAL |
| MONTSERRAT | NTSC |
| MOROCCO | SECAM(V) |
| MOZAMBIQUE | PAL |
| MYANMAR | NTSC |
| NAMIBIA | PAL |
| NAURU | - |
| NEPAL | PAL |
| NETHERLANDS | PAL |
| NEW CALEDONIA | SECAM(V) |
| NEW ZEALAND | PAL |
| NICARAGUA | NTSC |
| NIGER | SECAM(V) |
| NIGERIA | PAL |
| NORFOLK ISLAND | PAL |
| NORWAY | PAL |
| OKINAWA | NTSC |
| OMAN | PAL |
| PAKISTAN | PAL |
| PALAU | NTSC |
| PANAMA | NTSC |
| PAPUA NEW GUINEA | PAL |
| PARAGUAY | PAL-N |
| PERU | NTSC |
| PHILIPPINES | NTSC |
| POLAND | PAL |
| POLAND | SECAM(H) |
| POLYNESIA | SECAM(V) |
| PORTUGAL | PAL |
| PUERTO RICO | NTSC |
| QATAR | PAL |
| REUNION | SECAM(V) |
| ROMANIA | SECAM(H)/PAL |
| RUSSIA | SECAM |
| RWANDA | SECAM |
| SAMOA | NTSC |
| SARDINIA | PAL |
| SAUDI ARABIA | PAL |
| SAUDI ARABIA | SECAM(H)/PAL |
| SENEGAL | SECAM(V) |
| SERBIA | PAL |
| SEYCHELLES | PAL |
| SIERRA LEONE | PAL |
| SINGAPORE | PAL |
| SLOVAKIA REPUBLIC | PAL |
| SLOVENIA | PAL |
| SOLOMON ISLANDS | PAL |
| SOMALIA | PAL |
| SOUTH AFRICA | PAL |
| SPAIN | PAL |
| SRI LANKA | PAL |
| ST HELENA | - |
| ST KITTS AND NEVIS | NTSC |
| ST LUCIA | NTSC |
| ST PIERRE | SECAM(V) |
| ST VINCENT | NTSC |
| SUDAN | PAL |
| SURINAM | NTSC |
| SWAZILAND | PAL |
| SWEDEN | PAL |
| SWITZERLAND | PAL |
| SYRIA | PAL |
| SYRIA | SECAM(H) |
| TAHITI | SECAM(V) |
| TAJIKISTAN | NTSC |
| TAIWAN | SECAM |
| TANZANIA | PAL |
| THAILAND | PAL |
| TOGO | SECAM(V) |
| TONGA | PAL |
| TRINIDAD & TOBAGO | NTSC |
| TRISTAN DA CUNHA | PAL |
| TUNISIA | SECAM(V) |
| TURKEY | PAL |
| TURKMENISTAN | SECAM |
| UKRAINE | PAL |
| UGANDA | SECAM |
| UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | PAL |
| UNITED KINGDOM | PAL |
| URUGUAY | NTSC |
| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | PAL-N |
| UZBEKISTAN | SECAM |
| VANUATU | PAL |
| VATICAN | PAL |
| VENEZUELA | NTSC |
| VIETNAM | NTSC/SECAM(V) |
| VIRGIN ISLANDS | NTSC |
| WALLIS ISLAND | SECAM(V) |
| WESTERN SAMOA | |
| YEMEN | PAL |
| YUGOSLAVIA | PAL |
| ZAIRE | SECAM(V) |
| ZAMBIA | PAL |
| ZANZIBAR | PAL |
| ZIMBABWE | PAL |