this is what i got when i google it
LCD and Plasma screens have a native resolution, i.e. the number of pixels across and down. That is the maximum resolution that the display will support without scaling the image.
CRT's work on a different principle. There is a horizontal and vertical frequency; the higher the frequency the more pixels you can fit on a line. Same for the vertical frequency. There is also the quality of the tube; how quickly the phosphors can react to the guns, the quality of the mask, etc.
PAL has a h frequency of 15.625Khz and a v frequency of 50Hz. With those timings, I think the maximum resolution you can fit on a 4:3 screen is in the order 800 x 600; assuming you cannot see the overscan area.
I have seen some professional tellys that'll do more with VGA input, but that's probably the best you'll get out of a standard telly.