GoPro Tips & Tricks HomepageGoPro Tips & Tricks

David Coleman Photography

  • Reviews & Tips
  • GoPro
  • Lightroom
  • Places
  • Photos
  • Comparison Reviews
  • GoPro Models
    • HERO9 Black
    • MAX
    • HERO8 Black
    • HERO7 Black
    • HERO7 Silver
    • HERO7 White
    • HERO (2018)
    • Fusion
    • HERO6 Black
    • HERO5 Black
    • HERO5 Session
    • HERO Session
    • HERO (2014)
    • HERO+ LCD
    • HERO4 Black
    • HERO4 Silver
    • HERO4 Session
    • HERO3+ Black
    • HERO3 Silver
  • GoPro Accessories
    • Memory Cards
    • Batteries & Charging
    • Housings & Cases
    • Filters
    • Mounts & Grips
    • Sound
    • Stabilizers
  • GoPro Tips & Tricks
    • Troubleshooting
    • Protune
    • Video
    • Photos
    • Timelapse
    • Apps

How to Switch Between NTSC and PAL on the GoPro HERO9 Black

If you need to switch between NTSC and PAL video shooting modes on the HERO9 Black, it's not quite as obvious how to do that as it could be. The setting has also moved from where it was with previous models. Here's how to do it.

GoPro HERO9 Black Anti-Filcker Menu Setting

The Anti-Flicker settings screen on the HERO9 Black.

By David Coleman | @havecamerawilltraveldc
Last updated about 3 months ago // Categories: Video
Tags: GoPro HERO9 Black

Save $150 on GoPro HERO9 Black Bundle ($399.98)

GoPro is running a deal on the HERO9 Black, their latest flagship camera. It's a bundle that includes the HERO9 Black, a 1-year subscription to GoPro, a free extra battery (these come in very handy), a floating hand grip, Magnetic Swivel Clip, and a free 632GB SD card. It's all for $399.98.

Switching between NTSC and PAL isn’t something that many GoPro users will need to do very often. The reality is that most users will have it set on one or the other and happily shoot away on that all the time without ever changing it. If you’re in the United States, that’s likely to be NTSC. If you live in the UK or Europe, it’s probably PAL. But maybe you’re traveling and need to shoot for an international audience or playback on a local television. Or maybe you need to match a clip to some previously shot footage at a specific framerate or are collaborating with someone else (mixing and matching can cause problems). So here’s how to switch between NTSC and PAL on the HERO9 Black.

NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) and PAL (Phase Alternating Line) refer to different broadcast formats used in various regions of the world. NTSC is the standard in the Americas and Japan, while PAL is used in the UK, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. There are technically others, but NTSC and PAL are the two major ones still used today.1 For NTSC, the underlying power system for broadcast television is based on 60 hertz. For PAL, it’s 50 hertz.2 They’re primarily relevant to broadcast signals and are much less relevant if you’re shooting footage that will be shared on the web.

The practical difference between them when it comes to shooting video with your GoPro is that they have different refresh rates. When shooting video with a GoPro—or any camera, for that matter, that impacts the frames per second that are available in each mode. In NTSC, they’re multiples of 30 (eg. 30fps, 60fps, 120fps, 240fps). In PAL, they’re multiples of 25 (eg. 25fps, 50fps, 100fps, 200fps).3

Toggling these will open up new framerate options when you set the video options. If you set it to the 60Hz, you’ll get framerate options that are multiples of 30. If you set it to 50Hz, you’ll get framerate options that are multiples of 25.

Put another way: if you need to match some footage with some that was previously shot at 100fps, you’ll first need to set the anti-flicker setting to 50Hz before you can choose the 100fps framerate.

How to Switch Between NTSC and PAL on the GoPro HERO9 Black’s On-Camera Menu

The reason I’m going to the effort of writing this quick guide isn’t that it’s particularly hard to change between NTSC and PAL on the HERO9 Black, but because it’s not as obvious how to do it as it could be. That’s because you won’t find “NTSC” or “PAL” anywhere in the settings or menus, not even in the setting help description.

GoPro has done away with those since the HERO8 Black, now instead referring only to frequency. The menu item is called Anti-Flicker. And it’s not under the regional settings, which is one logical place for it (and where it is on the HERO7 Black, for instance, under Preferences > Regional > Video Format > NTSC or PAL).

To find this setting on the camera, go to:

Preferences > General > Anti-Flicker

From there, you can choose between 60Hz (which is NTSC) and 50Hz (which is PAL).

How to Switch Between NTSC and PAL on the GoPro HERO9 Black’s On-Camera Menu

GoPro doesn’t always have the wording on the camera menu system matching exactly what’s in the GoPro mobile app, but in this case, it does. So it’s straightforward.

In the mobile app, go into the camera’s settings by hitting the wrench (spanner) icon at the top right. Then in the first, large batch of settings under the Setup heading, scroll down to `Anti-Flicker’. You can then toggle between 60Hz (for NTSC) and 50Hz (for PAL).

GoPro HERO9 Black Anti Flicker Setting GoPro Mobile App


  1. The other big regional standard was SECAM, which originated in France. But it has been mostly phased out, and the countries that were using it have migrated to PAL, NTSC, or DVB-T (a European digital TV standard). ↩
  2. There are other differences, such as the number of lines, which in turns affects image resolution, and pixel aspect ratio. ↩
  3. More precisely, it’s a fractional framerate of 29.97, but it’s nearly always rounded up to 30fps in settings menus and when talking about it. That is, when talking about NTSC video, 29.97 and 30 are referring to the same thing. ↩
By David Coleman
Instagram: @havecamerawilltraveldc

Last updated on January 7, 2021

Categories: Video
Tags: GoPro HERO9 Black

I may earn a commission for purchases using links on this page. Learn more.

GoPro News & Deals

New Smart Remote GoPro will be announcing the new Smart Remote for the HERO9 Black on December 17, 2020. The HERO9 Black isn’t compatible with the previous version of the Smart Remote.

HERO8 Black firmware v2.0 now available. Enables webcam mode; enables Display Mod compatibility; expands HyperSmooth 2.0 High and Boost availability to more video settings; general bug fixes. Update through the mobile app or manually.

GoPro Launches New Live Streaming Service for GoPro PLUS. GoPro has launched their own live-streaming platform for PLUS subscribers. It’s a pretty bare-bones offering for now, with livestreams shared with a dedicated URL. This is alongside their efforts to make the HERO8 Black useful as a webcam when connected to a computer (via USB plug-in-play, not requiring the Media Mod accessory with HDMI out). New firmware adds that functionality for Mac users, and the Windows version is in Beta.

New GoPro Zeus Mini Video Light. GoPro has released released a new video LED light designed to complement their GoPro cameras. It’s tiny, waterproof, and has a built-in magnetic swiveling clip. It’s waterproof down to 33 feet (10 meters), has four levels of brightness, and includes a diffuser to cool the color temperature to 5000K. GoPro claims that the built-in battery lasts up to 6 hours (presumably at the lowest brightness setting, although they don’t specify). It’s available now and priced at $69.99.

DJI Osmo Action firmware update adds live streaming. DJI has released a firmware update for the Osmo Action (v. 01.08.00.10) that adds live streaming support, so you can upload directly to platforms like Facebook and YouTube (it goes through the DJI Mimo mobile app). They’ve also improved the in-camera video stabilization. You can find the new firmware here.

New Underwater Housing for GoPro HERO8 Black from Isotta. Isotta, an Italian brand specializing in underwater housings, has announced a new high-quality underwater housing for the HERO8 Black. It’s an aluminum housing depth-rated to 650 feet (200 meters), has a one-handed open/close switch, double o-rings, and can be used with filters. There’s also a dual-handled tray to go along with it. And like all their housings, it’s in their distinctive red. Priced at $450, it’s only for those who need a highly specialized piece of underwater kit. It’s available for preorder from underwater specialists Backscatter.

Light Mod Now Shipping The Light Mod, one of the three new GoPro accessories, is now shipping. It’s a standalone light that is waterproof, rechargeable and compatible with all GoPro mounts. It was originally announced along with the HERO8 Black, but it hasn’t been available until now. It’s priced at $49.99, and you can find them at GoPro.com.

GoPro MAX Now Shipping. The new 360° camera, the MAX, is now shipping.

GoPro HERO8 Black and Max Unveiled. The new GoPro cameras and accessories have been unveiled. I have a rundown of the highlights of the HERO8 Black here.

DJI Osmo Action vs GoPro HERO7 Black. I’ve posted my detailed hands-on comparison of the Osmo Action and the HERO7 Black. There’s a lot similar between the models, but once you start digging down into the details there are differences that can help in choosing between them. And each has strengths the other doesn’t have. You can find my review here.

GoPro HyperSmooth vs DJI RockSteady. The new DJI Osmo Action also has built-in electronic stabilization to smooth out video. They’re calling it RockSteady (GoPro has HyperSmooth). I’ve been out testing them side-by-side. You can see the results here.

GoPro Deals page. I’ve put together a dedicated page on GoPro deals. So if you’re looking for cheap GoPro deals, check it out.

DJI Osmo action 4K Camera. Best known for their camera drones, DJI has released a new 4K action cam that’s taking direct aim at the GoPro HERO7 Black. It shoots up to 4K60 video and 12MP stills, includes electronic stabilization, has high-dynamic range video at 4K30, voice commands, a touchscreen on the back and another smaller live view screen on the front, and is waterproof down to 36 feet (11 meters). It’s priced at $349, and they’re now available at B&H Photo.

Questions & Comments Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

I’m a professional travel & location photographer based in Washington DC and traveling all over. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between.

I’ve owned and used every GoPro since the HD HERO and particularly like finding new and different ways to use them to capture photos, video, and time-lapse.

You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com.

Search My Images

Looking for travel stock photos or prints? I might be able to help. You can search my collection here:

If you already have a buyer account with Alamy and would prefer to use that, you can search my images directly here.

Get in Touch

Member

© 2009–2021 David Coleman · Have Camera Will Travel LLC · all rights reserved


Photos by David Coleman. Please contact me for licensing images.
All images are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.


Privacy & Disclosure · Cookie Declaration · Disclaimer · Terms of Service · Copyright · Contact


GoPro, HERO, Session, Karma and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc.


XML Sitemap