Burst phase is the first ten
cycles of
colorburst
Colorburst is an analog video, composite video signal generated by a video-signal generator used to keep the chrominance subcarrier synchronized in a color television signal. By synchronizing an oscillator with the colorburst at the back p ...
in the "porch" of the synchronising
pulse in the
PAL (Phase Alternation Line)
broadcast television systems
Broadcast television systems (or terrestrial television systems outside the US and Canada) are the encoding or formatting systems for the transmission and reception of terrestrial television signals.
Analog television systems were standardized by ...
format. The frequency of this burst is 4.43361875 MHz; it is precise to .5 Hz, and is used as the reference frequency to synchronise the
local oscillators of the colour decoder in a PAL
television set.
This colorburst is sometimes called a "swinging burst", since it swings plus or minus 45 degrees line by line (hence the expression "phase alternating line"). This swing is used to set the centre frequency of the colour reference oscillator in the decoder. The swing of the burst phase distinguishes PAL from non-PAL lines, and produces the IDENT signal.
Television technology
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