The PAL Colour TV System

2
THE PAL COLOUR
TELEVISION SYSTEM
The Colour Television
It is possible to obtain any desired colour by mixing three primary colours i.e., red, blue
and green in suitable proportion. Thus it is only required to convert optical information of
these three colours to electrical signals and transmit it on different carriers to be
decoded by the receiver. This can then be converted back to the optical image at the
picture tube. The phosphors for all the three colours i.e. R, G and B are easily available
to the manufacturers of the picture tube. So the pick up from the cameras and output for
the picture tube should consists of three signals i.e. R, G and B. It is only in between the
camera and the picture tube of the receiver we need a system to transmit this
information.

Colour television has the constraint of compatibility and reverse compatibility with the
monochrome television system which makes it slightly complicated. Compatibility
means that when colour TV signal is radiated the monochrome TV sets should also
display Black & White pictures. This is achieved by sending Y as monochrome
information along with the chroma signal. Y is obtained by mixing R,G & B as per the
well known equation :
Y

0.3 R + 0.59 G + 0.11 B

Reverse compatibility means that when Black & White TV signal is radiated the colour
TV sets should display the Black & White pictures.
In view of the above the colour TV system should have :
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a)
b)
c)

Same line and field standards as that of existing monochrome.

The same bandwidth as that of the existing monochrome system.
The monochrome information in the Luminance signal along with colour signal.

If we transmit R, G, B, the reverse compatibility cannot be achieved. Let us see how :

If we transmit Y, R & B and derive G then :
Since

Y
G

=
=

0.3R + 0.59G + 0.11 B

1.7Y - 0.51 R - 0.19 B

In such a case what happens with a colour TV set when we transmit black and white
signal. R and B are zero, but G gun gets 1.7 Y. The net result is black & white pictures
on a colour TV screen appear as Green pictures. So reverse compatibility is not
achieved.

Colour Difference Signals

To achieve reverse compatibility, when we transmit Y, R-Y and B-Y instead of Y, R & B,
we do not take G-Y as this will always be much lower than R-Y and B-Y and hence will
needs more amplification and will cause more noise into the system. G-Y can be
derived electronically in the TV receiver.
In the previous paragraph we have seen
So

G
G-Y

=
=

1.7 Y - 0.51 R - 0.19 B

-0.51 (R-Y) - 0.19 (B-Y)

Thus, colour difference signals fulfill the compatibility and reverse compatibility. Because
in this case the colour difference signals are zero if the original signal is monochrome
(i.e. R = B = G)
So if we take R - Y
R - Y = R - (0.3 R + 0.59 R + 0.11 R) = 0
Similarly B - Y = 0
As such colour difference signals are zero for white or any shade of gray whereas, Y
carries the entire Luminance information.
It is to be noted while R, G, B signals always have positive value R-Y, B-Y and G-Y
signals can either be positive or negative or even zero.

Band Width Requirement

We have already seen that compatibility calls for utilizing the same bandwidth as that of
existing monochrome. In the system we are following it is 5 Megahertz for Video.
Restricting the bandwidth of Luminance results in poor resolution. Then how to share
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the same 5 megahertz bandwidth between Y and the colour difference signals R-Y and
B-Y. A way is to be found to accommodate the colour difference signal within the
Luminance bandwidth WITHOUT CAUSING ANY SIGNIFICANT INTERFERENCE.
Also Luminance signal is to be transmitted in the same way as that monochrome
receiver can receive it. Hence a method of inter leaving is to be adopted to suit
compatibility.

Colour Carrier And Modulation of R-Y And B-Y Signals

Spectral analysis of luminance Signal shows that various frequency components occur
are multiples of line (H frequency) due to the periodic scanning. The space between the
two energy contents is utilized to accommodate Chrominance signal within Luminance
Signal.
Assume an oscillator output is connected to the TV picture tube input. Severe patterns
appear on the screen. When the Oscillator frequency is a multiple of TV line frequency
(H frequency) the patterns become stable. As the oscillator frequency rises through the
Luminance band the pattern becomes finer eventually becoming a series of dots. If the
oscillator frequency is an odd multiple of Line frequency then the dots pattern of one
field lies exactly between the dots produced two fields later. Persistence of vision will
cause dot pattern to go to a minimum. This has led to the selection of a carrier
frequency that gets modulated by the colour difference signal which is close to the edge
of bandwidth on the high frequency side.

As we know the video spectrum is occupied only at multiples of Line frequency and in
their vicinity. The spectrum exhibits gaps in between these frequency groups. So if the
chrominance spectrum is placed in these gaps the interference will be negligible. That
means the sub carrier frequency should be an odd multiple of half line frequency.

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From the above it is clear that sub carrier frequency should be near to the upper edge of
video bandwidth (i.e. as high as possible) and also should be an odd multiple of half line
frequency.
Fsc 2 n 1

fh
fh

f v 4.43361875 MHz
2
4

This sub-carrier gets modulated by colour difference signals R - Y and B - Y to produce

Chrominance that gets interleaved with Luminance signal.
It is the PROCESS OF MODULATING SUB CARRIER that differs in the NTSC, PAL and
SECAM system.
Luckily the requirement of bandwidth of chrominance signal is less. This is because of
the capacity of human eye. The capacity of human eye to distinguish between hues
depends on the size of the objects, the lighting condition and the distance. In a very
badly lit room you cannot distinguish the colour of the objects if they are small in size
and are at a distance. However, you can notice the objects by their Luminance value. It
means they give rise to Luminance signal but not chrominance signal.
Even in good lighting condition we cannot notice hue till we go near the objects.
However their brightness value is first noticed as we go near and when go still nearer we
see colour. This only shows that the bandwidth requirement of chrominance signal is
much. In the PAL system the chrominance bandwidth is restricted to 1.3 MHz. The subcarrier frequency is 4.43 Mega hertz.
Though carrier is single we need two carriers for R - Y and B - Y to modulate
independently. How do we get two carriers ? In fact both are of the same frequency but
are displaced in phase by 90 degrees. Hence we speak of quadrature modulation of
sub-carrier frequency by the colour difference signals. The type of modulation used is
Amplitude Modulation. One carrier is amplitude modulated with R - Y and the other
with B - Y and in both cases the carrier is suppressed. The two modulated signals at 90
degrees to each other produces the resultant chrominance signal which gets added to
Luminance signal to form Composite colour Video Signal (CCVS).

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The R-Y and B - Y chrominance signals may be recovered at the television receiver by
suitable synchronous demodulation. But sub-carrier is to be generated by a local
oscillator. This generated sub-carrier in the receiver must have same frequency as that
of transmitted sub-carrier and also the same phase. This is achieved by transmitting 10
cycles of sub-carrier frequency on the back porch of H synchronizing pulse. This 10
cycles sub-carrier signal is known as BURST or colour BURST.

Weighted Colour Difference Signals

Resultant of the two vectors of modulated R-Y and B-Y has to be added with Y to get a
CCVS signal. If we allow this we find peak excursions going up to 1.79 in case of
saturated yellow and similarly for some other cases it may go even below the black level.
This amplitude is considered too great for transmission over equipment used also for
monochrome, and for convenience the chrominance information is reduced in amplitude
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such that for saturated yellow the peak excursion is limited to 1.33 only. This requires
reduction in all the colour vectors by a suitable weighing factor which is as per below :
87.7% of modulated R-Y, called V signal, V = 0.877 (R-Y)
49.3% of modulated B-Y, called U signal, U = 0.493 (B-Y)
Therefore weighted

U2 V 2

Colour Transmission Distortion

When a CCVS signal passes through a long chain or network (or a defective network)
the chrominance signal may suffer a phase change with respect to burst resulting in
wrong hue. This is because the relationship between burst phase and the instantaneous
sub-carrier superimposed on the Luminance signal will determine HUE or colour. If any
serious changes occur in this relationship in the transmission path, wrong Hues will
result.
Phase changes of the order of plus or minus 5 degrees and above will produce
noticeable changes of hue. However, this depends to a great extent on the picture
content. (A phase error of 10 degrees is quite noticeable and a phase error of 5 degrees
is just detectable).
In NTSC because of the phase errors induced by the system, the resultant chroma
vector at the receiver used to vary causing noticeable impairment. Where as in PAL
system, any phase variation in one line is compensated or cancelled by reversing the
phase of V component in the subsequent line. The phase errors in any line and the
subsequent line cancel each other restoring the original phase (i.e. original colour).
Since the phase of V vector is changed by 180 degree after every line the system is
called phase alternate (by) line (PAL).
How PAL System Reduces The Differential Phase Errors ?
We have seen earlier that while phase of sub-carrier of B-Y signal modulation remains
same line by line, the phase of the sub-carrier to the R-Y modulator is reversed (180
degrees) at line frequency. It means the phase of R-Y of a particular line is 180 degrees
opposite to the preceding line as well as succeeding line.
Assuming a phase error of (Alpha) after the transmission link for the resultant
chrominance signal of nth line. In the successive line also there is a phase error of
(alpha) but the resultant chrominance polarity is different. So when we combine the
chrominance of nth line and (n +1) th line the net result is chrominance signal with
original phase. This is a major improvement in PAL system over the NTSC system.
Even if we do not combine the chrominance outputs of n and n + 1 lines electronically by
using delay line of one TV line (64 Micro seconds) as in case of PAL-D Receivers. Our
eyes can average out the outputs of n and n + 1 lines providing the original colour or
Hue as in the case of PAL-S (PAL-Simple) TV Receiver.

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Please note the adjacent lines referred to lines laid down in time sequence and not as
the lines that appear on the TV screen when the fields are interlaced.
Delay Line PAL - PAL - Demodulator
In the case of PAL's Receiver the ability of eyes to combine the hues on the adjacent
lines is utilised. However the resultant picture is less satisfactory for phase errors
exceeding 15 degrees.

PAL-D demodulator uses the delay line to combine the information of a line with the
information of the previous line. This is done by adding and subtracting the two lines.
The two resultants are the separated 'U' and 'V' modulation side bands which
corresponds to the average hue and saturation of the present and previous lines
received. The delay line is a ultrasonic one. It is a glass element fitted with suitable
transducers. The input and output impedance's are of the order of 150 ohms and the
bandwidth is around 2 Mega hertz. Insertion loss is 10 dB or more. The delay timing
accuracy is of the order of 3 nanoseconds.
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PAL (Phase Alternation by Line)
You may note that in view of the phase alternation line by line, a given hue will be
represented on a vector diagram at two alternating positions symmetrically displaced
above and below B-Y axis in alternate lines. You might have noticed two colour vectors
for each colours on a vector scope display because of this reason.

PAL Encoder
The design of PAL Encoder may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. In some of
the PAL encoder instead of reversing the phase of V component on every alternating
line, it has been found much easier to change the phase of carrier modulating the R-Y
component by 180 degree every alternate line. This switching is controlled by the H/2
oscillator i.e., by a 7.80 kHz PAL Indent pulse. (H/2 because of alternate line phase
reversal). In order to facilitate TV receiver to decode which line has +V component and
which line has -V component we send additional information by modifying the burst.
Burst proceeding a line carry this information. This is achieved by changing its phase. It
is 135 and 225 degrees for +V & -V respectively. It is also known as swinging burst.
The block diagram of PAL encoder explains a system having the following steps :1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)

Add R G B to generate Y, R-Y & B-Y

Modulate R-Y by SC at 90o for line n and 270 o for line n+1. Switching of SC
phase is controlled by 7.80 kHz, switching pulse.
Modulate B-Y by SC at 0o phase.
To generate SC with V switching information i.e. either at 135/225 o (burst) each
alternate line. (Swinging burst)
Generation of pulse called PAL-indent signal of 7.80 kHz.
Generating of burst gate or K pulse to define the parking space for burst at the
back porch.
Adding of 2,3,4,Y and sync to generate CCVS i.e., colour composite Video signal
as Encoder output.

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Also please note that the burst proceeding the line indicates whether the V component is
+ve or -ve, and it contains equal component of U and V.

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PAL - Decoder
PAL decoder is a reverse of encoding process. The objectives of recovering R G & B
from the received signal is achieved in the following steps :
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)

Y & S is recovered by decoding video & using LPF and Sync separator circuit of
receiver.
Chroma is separated by using BPF (center at 4.43 MHz)
Chrome is keyed or gated to get back the burst i.e. SC by using K - Pulse.
L.O. 4.43 MHz is phase locked with the recovered burst to make it of same
phase as that of the transmitted one.
4.43 MHz SC is processed further to get the same pulse at 90 degree phase as
well.
Modulated chroma is demodulated by these two SC at 0 & 90 degree. This will
retrieve U & V components.
Phase of the V component is restored back to normal by using the concerned
information from the transmitted burst.
U & V are demodulated back to R-Y & B-Y.
Y, R-Y & B-Y are mixed to retrieve R G B which will control the three grids of
picture tube.

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