Will there be any actual difference that can be seen on a 46" plasma or lcd? Some post suggest that there will be a noticable difference, while others state that mpeg4 may actually have more artifacts and look worse than mpeg2.
Even though we were all hoping it will be better, chances are it won't be. They will be able to put around 30 or so per transponder with MPEG4 to save some space but I would not look for a significant change.
If they overcrowd them, yes. The good news is some Premium channels are insisting on a specific bit rate that in fact looks better than what has been shown on MPEG2.