A few months after the introduction of the digital television in Portugal, this paper intends to do a reflection on the impact of the digital terrestrial television (DTT) in the Portuguese society. Comparing in terms of broadcast TV services it analyzes the state of the country in the time immediately before and after the transition to DTT. The analysis covers such aspects as the profile of the free TV audience, the legislation associated with the implementation of DTT and the impact of that process in Portuguese society. This analysis is then contrasted with the potential alternative technological solutions that current DTT standards accommodate but that political and regulatory authorities in Portugal decided not to consider.