" 

 == Development (cheeky meanings of SECAM) == 

  
 NTSC was considered undesirable in Europe because of its tint problem requiring an additional control, which SECAM and PAL solved. The joke was that ""SECAM"" stood for «System Essentially Contrary to the American Method» versus NTSC «Never Twice the Same Color» whilst «Peace At Last» could only be obtained through the PAL system 

 I had heard (possibly in the early 1980s) - when I hung out with video people, who were possibly early Digital TV advocates - that ""SECAM"" stood for Silly Europeans Continuing American mistakes - this phrase seemed to be in common use in New England at the time, as I recall. 

 This seems to ignore the fact that the 'color/tint' problem was solved by PAL and SECAM."