5. Outlook

Analog and digital systems will coexist for a long period (10 to 15 years, with broadcasts being duplicated in both standards (Simulcast)) until digital coverage equals that of analog, and purely analog equipment is retired and replaced.

Analog and digital systems will initially coexist via set-top boxes, followed by multi-standard integrated TVs and, above all, the possibility of recording directly to digital hard disks, probably integrated into the TV set.

A return path makes interactivity possible.

New, more efficient compression techniques than MPEG-2 will be implemented, such as MPEG-4.