Editing SECAM (section)

=== Disadvantages ===
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Unlike PAL or NTSC, analog SECAM programming cannot easily be edited in its native analog form. Because it uses frequency modulation, SECAM is not linear with respect to the input image (this is also what protects it against signal distortion), so electrically mixing two (synchronized) SECAM signals does not yield a valid SECAM signal, unlike with analog PAL or NTSC. For this reason, to mix two SECAM signals, they must be demodulated, the demodulated signals mixed, and are remodulated again. Hence, [[post-production]] is often done in PAL, or in component formats, with the result encoded or transcoded into SECAM at the point of transmission. Reducing the costs of running television stations is one reason for some countries' switchovers to PAL.

Most TVs currently sold in SECAM countries support both SECAM and [[PAL]], and more recently [[composite video]] NTSC as well (though not usually [[Broadcasting|broadcast]] NTSC, that is, they cannot accept a broadcast signal from an antenna). Although the older analog camcorders ([[VHS]], [[VHS-C]]) were produced in SECAM versions, none of the [[8 mm video format|8 mm]] or Hi-band models ([[S-VHS]], [[VHS-C|S-VHS-C]], and [[8 mm video format#Hi8|Hi-8]]) recorded it directly. Camcorders and VCRs of these standards sold in SECAM countries are internally PAL. The result could be converted back to SECAM in some models; most people buying such expensive equipment would have a multistandard TV set and as such would not need a conversion. Digital camcorders or DVD players (with the exception of some early models) do not accept or output a SECAM analog signal. However, this is of dwindling importance: since 1980 most European domestic video equipment uses French-originated [[SCART]] connectors, allowing the transmission of [[RGB color model|RGB]] signals between devices. This eliminates the legacy of PAL, SECAM, and NTSC color sub carrier standards.

In general, modern professional equipment is now all-digital, and uses component-based digital interconnects such as [[Rec. 601|CCIR 601]] to eliminate the need for any analog processing prior to the final modulation of the analog signal for broadcast. However, large installed bases of analog professional equipment still exist, particularly in third world countries.