DVD Formats: Choosing the correct format for your region

DVD Formats: Choosing the correct format for your region

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