MESECAM uses an AM subcarrier and SECAM uses FM subcarrier. When MESECAM records a color signal onto VHS or Betamax video tape, the luminance signal is recorded in its original form (albeit with some reduction of bandwidth) but the chrominance signal of about 4.4 MHz is too sensitive to small changes in frequency caused by inevitable small variations in tape speed to be recorded directly. Instead, it is first down converted to the lower frequency of 630 kHz, and the complex nature of the PAL sub carrier means that the down conversion must be done via a superhet mixer to ensure that information is not lost.

VCRs featuring MESECAM will record SECAM signals in such a fashion, that can be later viewed on PAL TVs. This system is incompatible with both PAL and SECAM, and a MESECAM VCR is required to play MESECAM tapes.

1. The easiest way is buy a region free DVD player, many modern DVD players will play and convert both NTSC and PAL DVDs and will also play DVDs that may have specific regional encoding, helping to avoid the regional problems created by the different formats and specifications.

2. IFOedit is the best conversion software. IFOEdit allows users to parse VOB files, remove and add video/audio/subtitle streams to VOBs, create new IFO files, create DVD images and burn DVD-Rs. (A VOB file is a container format contained in DVD-Video media.)

3. Another way is using DVDSanta that is an all-in-One software that helps you copy, convert and create DVD movies. It can convert video files (include DVD videos) into DVD format. DVDSanta's results are not very good but it does work.

4. A program called ConvertXtoDVD converts your movie files to a compatible DVD playable on any home DVD player but you won’t get the menu's.

Converting PAL video to NTSC involves adding extra frames into the footage and this can result in slight judders during fast movement scenes when done by most basic home editing software (Linear Interpolation). However by using Inter-Field Interpolation or Adaptive Motion Interpolation techniques, the inserted frames are averaged from the frames before and after the point where they are inserted and result in much smoother playback.

Many newer Video Cassette recorders and DVD players sold in Europe can play back NTSC tapes/discs. When operating in this mode most of them do not output a true (625/25) PAL signal but rather a hybrid of PAL and NTSC known as “PAL 60″ (or “pseudo PAL”) with “60″ standing for 60 Hz, instead of 50 Hz. Some video game consoles also output a signal in this mode. Most newer television sets can display such a signal correctly but some will only do so (if at all) in black and white and/or with flickering/foldover at the bottom of the picture, or picture rolling (it can be noted, however, that many analogue-era TV sets can receive the picture by means of adjusting the V-Hold and V-Height knobs — assuming they have them). Very few TV tuner cards or video capture cards will support this mode (a small number can, although software/driver modification is usually required and the manufacturers’ specs are usually unclear). A “PAL 60″ signal is similar to an NTSC (525/30) signal but with a PAL chrominance subcarrier at 4.43 MHz (instead of 3.58) and with the PAL-specific phase alternation of the red colour difference signal between the lines.

The ADVCs only support standard NTSC (3.58) and standard PAL. Formats like NTSC 4.43 are not supported. PAL 60 is a non-standard format, which makes it hard to capture. Some capture cards with a certain Brooktree chipset are able to capture it in combination with Dscaler.

Older TVs designed for the European market had no expectation of needing to display PAL 60 were therefore not designed to cope with it.

Majority of PAL games offered 50 and 60 Hz modes with no slowdown. Current generation PAL consoles such as the Xbox 360 and Wii also feature system-wide 60 Hz support.

Nintendo's Wii Virtual Console service has been criticised due to PAL games running in 50 Hz only, despite the ability to run in 60 Hz mode.

In recent times, several PAL releases have lacked the standard PAL mode and offered 60 Hz only, including Metroid Prime 2 for the Nintendo Gamecube and Dead or Alive 4 for the Xbox 360.