SECAM
Proper noun
Meaning
SECAM
Abbreviation of Sequentiel Couleur à Mémoire, meaning “sequential color with memory”, a TV standard.
Anagrams
Examples
Basic PAL VCRs work better for this, ones that are more sophisticated detect the SECAM signal as "not-PAL" and refuse to record it in color.
A specific stamp was added on the machines saying "PAL+SECAM".
At a later stage, countries where both PAL and SECAM signals were available (notably the Middle East, hence the Acronym "Middle East SECAM"), developed a cheap method of converting PAL video machines to record SECAM signals also using the PAL circuitry.
Another explanation for the Eastern European adoption of SECAM, led by the Soviet Union, is that the Russians had extremely long distribution lines between broadcasting stations and transmitters.
Additionally, the SECAM palette consists of only 8 colors.
Although being a workaround, MESECAM is much more widespread than "native" SECAM.