Editing SECAM (section)

==== Technical details ====
On VHS tapes, the [[Luma (video)|luminance]] signal is recorded FM-encoded (on VHS with reduced bandwidth, on [[S-VHS]] with full bandwidth) but the PAL or NTSC [[chrominance]] signal is too sensitive to small changes in frequency caused by inevitable small variations in tape speed to be recorded directly. Instead, it is first shifted down to the lower frequency of 630&nbsp;kHz, and the complex nature of the PAL or NTSC sub-carrier means that the down conversion must be done via [[Heterodyne|heterodyning]] to ensure that information is not lost.

The SECAM sub-carriers, which consist of two simple FM signals at 4.41&nbsp;MHz and 4.25&nbsp;MHz, do not need this (actually simple) processing. The VHS specification for "native" SECAM recording specifies that they be divided by 4 on recording to give sub carriers of approximately 1.1&nbsp;MHz and 1.06&nbsp;MHz, and multiplied by 4 on playback. A true dual-standard PAL and SECAM video recorder therefore requires two color processing circuits, adding to complexity and expense. Since some countries in the [[Middle East]] use PAL and others use SECAM, the region has adopted a shortcut, and uses the PAL mixer-down converter approach for both PAL and SECAM, simplifying [[Videocassette recorder|VCR]] design.

Many PAL VHS recorders have had their analog tuner modified in French-speaking western Switzerland (Switzerland used the PAL-B/G standard while the bordering France used SECAM-L). The original tuner in those PAL recorders allows only PAL-B/G reception. The Swiss importers added a circuit with a specific [[Integrated circuit|IC]] for the French SECAM-L standard, making the tuner [[Multi-standard television|multi-standard]] and allowing the VCR to record SECAM broadcasts in MESECAM. A stamp mentioning "PAL+SECAM" was added to these machines.

Video recorders like Panasonic NV-W1E (AG-W1-P for professional), AG-W3, NV-J700AM, Aiwa HV-MX100, HV-MX1U, Samsung SV-4000W and SV-7000W feature a digital standard conversion circuitry.