NTSC or PAL for Video?

[dronezone1010]

Hi

I am in the UK, and from what I've read the main video format used here is PAL. However, in PAL made the max frame rate achievable on the Phantom 3 is 25 FPS.

I've just switched it to NTSC (the North American standard,) and now I'm able to select 30 FPS, which I've read will contribute to more 'fluid video' due to the faster frame rate.

I was thinking does it really matter whether you choose PAL or NTSC? I thought these formats only mattered for TV broadcast stations, and DVD's etc?

Thanks.

 

[Richard R]

Think about your 'customer' base who will be looking at your videos, how and where do you plan to distribute them. That may be the driver on which format you shoot in. Dont know if you can convert from one to the other quickly or simply.

 

[dronezone1010]

Hi Richard

Basically all my vids will be watched on a laptop or iPad screen. I might showing my ignorance here, but in my mind that makes NTSC vs PAL an irrelevance (I don't know.)

I have to emphasise I do want to take advantage of the higher frame rate of NTSC.

 

[dronezone1010]

I found a good video on Youtube that answers my original question. It suggest that no matter where you live in the world (North America or Europe,) you should still use the NTSC/30 FPS setting for video.

 

[DanMan32]

Sort of makes sense. NTSC/vs PAL was relevant for analog video, not so much for today's digital. Not only was the frame rate different but also how the chroma and luminence encoded on the analog signal. Most displays can adjust to various display sizes and frame rates.
What could matter is electric lighting being at a different frequency than video, particularly in recording. Example/analogy is seeing car wheels seem to be slow or even going backwards because wheel speed doesn't quite match up with a multiple of frame rate.