NTSC stands for National Television System Committee. It refers to an analog video format used mainly in North America, Japan, and a few other regions. NTSC delivers video at 30 frames per second with 525 lines of resolution.
In surveillance systems, NTSC was commonly used in older analog cameras and monitors. For example, many legacy CCTV setups still rely on NTSC for compatibility.
While newer digital formats have replaced NTSC in most systems, understanding it remains useful when working with older hardware. Some hybrid systems still support NTSC to ensure broader device compatibility.
As a result, NTSC continues to play a role in legacy and transitional video surveillance environments.