There are two retail DVD formats available today. These are PAL and NTSC. NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) is the format that is used mainly in America, Canada, Japan, Taiwan and some South American regions. PAL (Phase Alternate Lines) is the format suited for VHS players in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and most other European countries. More and more DVDs are being manufactured in dual format with PAL on one side of the disc and NTSC on the other. But, it is very important to understand that PAL DVDs will NOT play on an NTSC machine or vice versa. Many television sets manufactured nowadays are made to accept both formats but you should check to make sure about your own equipment.
Please Note: Regional or zone restriction notices on DVDs are nothing to do with the technical requirements of PAL or NTSC formats but refer to potential restriction which the issuing record company or film distributor can impose on any of their DVDs.
PAL format countries:
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrein
Bangladesh
Belgium
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Cameroon
China
Denmark
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Hong Kong
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jordan
Kenya
Kuwait
Lesotho
Liberia
Gibraltar
Hong Kong
Luxemburg
Malaysia
Malawi Maldives
Malta
Mozambique
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Portugal
Qatar
Rumania
Seycheles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Somalia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Tanzania
Thailand
Turkey
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Uraguay
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe
NTSC format countries:
Antiles Netherlands
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
Bolivia
Burma
Canada
Chile
Columbia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Equador
Grenada
Guatemala
Honduras
Jamaica
Japan
Mexico
Panama
Peru
Phillipines
Puerto Rico
South Korea
Surinam
Taiwan
Trinidad & Tobago
United States of America
Venezuala
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