Palgebied

PALgebied is a Dutch term that literally translates to “PAL area.” In publishing and technical writing it is used informally to denote the geographic region where the PAL (Phase Alternating Line) color-encoding standard for analog television was deployed, or where its variants remained in use. The term is not a formal designation in international broadcasting standards, but it appears in discussions of historical television systems and regional broadcasting practices.

The PAL standard was developed in the 1960s and became widely adopted across many parts of the world. It includes several regional variants, such as PAL-B/G, PAL-D/K, PAL-I, PAL-M, and PAL-N, each associated with different countries or groups of countries. Because of these variants, the concept of a PALgebied can encompass large and diverse areas, including much of Europe; large parts of Africa; various countries in Asia and Oceania; and some countries in South America that used PAL-M or PAL-N. The exact coverage of a PALgebied evolved over time as nations migrated from monochrome or color systems to digital broadcasting and as regional standards shifts occurred.

With the worldwide transition to digital television and DVB standards, the practical use of PAL as an analog transmission system has diminished. Today, discussions of a PALgebied are largely historical or context-specific to older broadcasting equipment and archives. See also PAL, NTSC, SECAM, and Phase Alternating Line for related topics.