A video standards converter is a video device that converts NTSC to PAL and/or PAL to NTSC. [1] The PAL TV signals may be transcoded to or from SECAM.
Video standards converters are primarily used so television shows can be viewed in nations with different video standards.
With the use of high-definition television, new digital video standards converters came on the market. Some were down converters only, HDTV to PAL or NTSC. Others could both up and down convert: HDTV to standard definition: PAL or NTSC and vice versa.