PAL colors

[+atari2600land]

I want to make a version of GoSub for PAL TVs, so I put the line 'set tv pal' in, and the water is purple! And there was a link in one of these forums to a PAL color list but I couldn't understand what the colors mean because they weren't in bBasic language (they had A-F in them and stuff.) So, could someone tell me what blue is in PAL bBasic talk?

gosub122406pal.bas.bin

[SeaGtGruff]

I want to make a version of GoSub for PAL TVs, so I put the line 'set tv pal' in, and the water is purple! And there was a link in one of these forums to a PAL color list but I couldn't understand what the colors mean because they weren't in bBasic language (they had A-F in them and stuff.) So, could someone tell me what blue is in PAL bBasic talk?

The PAL colors are arranged differently than the NTSC colors, and some of the NTSC colors have no PAL equivalent, because they're gray in the PAL palette. Here are screenshots of the NTSC and PAL palettes, arranged in order by their color values:

 

NTSC Palette, in Color Value Order

 

PAL Palette, in Color Value Order

 

The following list gives the hexadecimal values for converting from PAL colors to NTSC colors:

 

PAL $0x = equivalent to NTSC $0x (Gray)
PAL $1x = equivalent to NTSC $0x (Gray)
PAL $2x = equivalent to NTSC $2x (Yellowish-Orange)
PAL $3x = equivalent to NTSC $Dx (Yellowish-Green)
PAL $4x = equivalent to NTSC $3x (Reddish-Orange)
PAL $5x = equivalent to NTSC $Cx (Green)
PAL $6x = equivalent to NTSC $4x (Red)
PAL $7x = equivalent to NTSC $Bx (Greenish-Cyan)
PAL $8x = equivalent to NTSC $5x (Reddish-Purple)
PAL $9x = equivalent to NTSC $Ax (Cyan)
PAL $Ax = equivalent to NTSC $6x (Purple)
PAL $Bx = equivalent to NTSC $9x (Bluish-Cyan)
PAL $Cx = equivalent to NTSC $7x (Bluish-Purple)
PAL $Dx = equivalent to NTSC $8x (Blue)
PAL $Ex = equivalent to NTSC $0x (Gray)
PAL $Fx = equivalent to NTSC $0x (Gray)

The equivalences and color names shown above are only approximate, but are pretty close.

 

We can rearrange the PAL palette so the colors are in the same order as the NTSC palette:

 

PAL Palette, in NTSC Color Order

 

The following list gives the hexadecimal values for converting from NTSC colors to PAL colors:

 

NTSC $0x = equivalent to PAL $0x (Gray)
NTSC $1x = no PAL equivalent; use PAL $2x (Yellowish-Orange)
NTSC $2x = equivalent to PAL $2x (Yellowish-Orange)
NTSC $3x = equivalent to PAL $4x (Reddish-Orange)
NTSC $4x = equivalent to PAL $6x (Red)
NTSC $5x = equivalent to PAL $8x (Reddish-Purple)
NTSC $6x = equivalent to PAL $Ax (Purple)
NTSC $7x = equivalent to PAL $Cx (Bluish-Purple)
NTSC $8x = equivalent to PAL $Dx (Blue)
NTSC $9x = equivalent to PAL $Bx (Bluish-Cyan)
NTSC $Ax = equivalent to PAL $9x (Cyan)
NTSC $Bx = equivalent to PAL $7x (Greenish-Cyan)
NTSC $Cx = equivalent to PAL $5x (Green)
NTSC $Dx = equivalent to PAL $3x (Yellowish-Green)
NTSC $Ex = no PAL equivalent; use PAL $3x (Yellowish-Green) *
NTSC $Fx = no PAL equivalent; use PAL $2x (Yellowish-Orange)
* Or flicker between PAL $2x and PAL $3x

When setting colors, it's most convenient to work with hexadecimal values, because the high nybble is the hue, and the low nybble is the luminance, so hexadecimal notation is ideal and easy to use.

 

However, if you prefer to work with decimal values, the conversion table would be as follows:

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 000|NTSC 002|NTSC 004|NTSC 006|NTSC 008|NTSC 010|NTSC 012|NTSC 014|
| PAL 000| PAL 002| PAL 004| PAL 006| PAL 008| PAL 010| PAL 012| PAL 014|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 016|NTSC 018|NTSC 020|NTSC 022|NTSC 024|NTSC 026|NTSC 028|NTSC 030|
| PAL 032| PAL 034| PAL 036| PAL 038| PAL 040| PAL 042| PAL 044| PAL 046|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 032|NTSC 034|NTSC 036|NTSC 038|NTSC 040|NTSC 042|NTSC 044|NTSC 046|
| PAL 032| PAL 034| PAL 036| PAL 038| PAL 040| PAL 042| PAL 044| PAL 046|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 048|NTSC 050|NTSC 052|NTSC 054|NTSC 056|NTSC 058|NTSC 060|NTSC 062|
| PAL 064| PAL 066| PAL 068| PAL 070| PAL 072| PAL 074| PAL 076| PAL 078|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 064|NTSC 066|NTSC 068|NTSC 070|NTSC 072|NTSC 074|NTSC 076|NTSC 078|
| PAL 096| PAL 098| PAL 100| PAL 102| PAL 104| PAL 106| PAL 108| PAL 110|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 080|NTSC 082|NTSC 084|NTSC 086|NTSC 088|NTSC 090|NTSC 092|NTSC 094|
| PAL 128| PAL 130| PAL 132| PAL 134| PAL 136| PAL 138| PAL 140| PAL 142|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 096|NTSC 098|NTSC 100|NTSC 102|NTSC 104|NTSC 106|NTSC 108|NTSC 110|
| PAL 160| PAL 162| PAL 164| PAL 166| PAL 168| PAL 170| PAL 172| PAL 174|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 112|NTSC 114|NTSC 116|NTSC 118|NTSC 120|NTSC 122|NTSC 124|NTSC 126|
| PAL 192| PAL 194| PAL 196| PAL 198| PAL 200| PAL 202| PAL 204| PAL 206|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 128|NTSC 130|NTSC 132|NTSC 134|NTSC 136|NTSC 138|NTSC 140|NTSC 142|
| PAL 208| PAL 210| PAL 212| PAL 214| PAL 216| PAL 218| PAL 220| PAL 222|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 144|NTSC 146|NTSC 148|NTSC 150|NTSC 152|NTSC 154|NTSC 156|NTSC 158|
| PAL 176| PAL 178| PAL 180| PAL 182| PAL 184| PAL 186| PAL 188| PAL 190|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 160|NTSC 162|NTSC 164|NTSC 166|NTSC 168|NTSC 170|NTSC 172|NTSC 174|
| PAL 144| PAL 146| PAL 148| PAL 150| PAL 152| PAL 154| PAL 156| PAL 158|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 176|NTSC 178|NTSC 180|NTSC 182|NTSC 184|NTSC 186|NTSC 188|NTSC 190|
| PAL 112| PAL 114| PAL 116| PAL 118| PAL 120| PAL 122| PAL 124| PAL 126|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 192|NTSC 194|NTSC 196|NTSC 198|NTSC 200|NTSC 202|NTSC 204|NTSC 206|
| PAL 080| PAL 082| PAL 084| PAL 086| PAL 088| PAL 090| PAL 092| PAL 094|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 208|NTSC 210|NTSC 212|NTSC 214|NTSC 216|NTSC 218|NTSC 220|NTSC 222|
| PAL 048| PAL 050| PAL 052| PAL 054| PAL 056| PAL 058| PAL 060| PAL 062|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 224|NTSC 226|NTSC 228|NTSC 230|NTSC 232|NTSC 234|NTSC 236|NTSC 238|
| PAL 048| PAL 050| PAL 052| PAL 054| PAL 056| PAL 058| PAL 060| PAL 062|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
|NTSC 240|NTSC 242|NTSC 244|NTSC 246|NTSC 248|NTSC 250|NTSC 252|NTSC 254|
| PAL 032| PAL 034| PAL 036| PAL 038| PAL 040| PAL 042| PAL 044| PAL 046|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael

Edited December 25, 2006 by SeaGtGruff

[+atari2600land]

I use the decimal values for colors because when I was first using batari Basic, that was what was in the help file. Thank you for the NTSC/PAL conversion chart, Mike.

-Chris

[+Philsan]

Michael, first of all thank you for your work.

I think this thread or his final results, should be included in Duane's bB manual.

 

Unfortunately I found this thread after having done a near complete NTSC > PAL conversion!

But this is also a good thing because I had the chance to compare results.

 

We know that PAL palette is missing yellow so we cannot reproduce it.

But I think NTSC $10-$18 (greenish yellows) should be converted to PAL $30-$38 (greens) instead of $20-$28 (browns).

I am working on a titlescreen NTSC-PAL conversion and it is evident that it is better to have greens instead of browns in this range.

NTSC $1A could remain PAL $2A.

NTSC $1C/$1E could be converted to PAL $2E (the lighter brown) to have a bright color but in this case, as written, it is impossible to have the matching yellow.

If you agree you could update your useful tables.

[Nukey Shay]

Actually, it would depend on what the colors are used for. A slightly-green Pac-Man would look worse than a slightly-brown one.

[+Philsan]

Actually, it would depend on what the colors are used for. A slightly-green Pac-Man would look worse than a slightly-brown one.

I am talking about the first five colors of NTSC $1 palette's column.

Actually they are greens with very little yellow.

Pac-Man perhaps used one of the last three colors of palette's column (yellows) and consequently I have written to leave NTSC $1A unchanged and NTSC $1C/$1E assigned to a lighter brown.

 

In fact it seems that NTSC Pac-Man (and Ms. Pac-Man) used a brown instead of a yellow (only Jr. Pac-Man used a yellow) but your example is good.

But I confirm that NTSC $10-$18 are close to green and far from yellow.

Edited October 16, 2010 by Philsan