PAL

Phase Alternation Line television standard for most western European nations. For example, videotapes recorded under PAL standards will not play on the NTSC tape players found in the Western Hemisphere and Asia. (See also NTSC and SECAM )

(1) Short for Phase Alternating Line, the dominant television standard in Europe. The United States uses a different standard, NTSC. Whereas NTSC delivers 525 lines of resolution at 60 half-frames per second, PAL delivers 625 lines at 50 half-frames per second. Many video adapters that enable computer monitors to be used as television screens support both NTSC and PAL signals.(2) Short for Programmable Array Logic, a type of Programmable Logic Device (PLD).