Free TV in question?

[jr_tech]

My 2 cents (or less) worth.

"Like the converter boxes that were pretty much discontinued right after the switch"

Within a few months after the switch, most people that needed the converter boxes had them. The $40 coupon deal was over. Demand pretty much went to zero. No demand will shortly equal no supply.

"the big players aren't spending any resources on making portable ATSC tvs."

ATSC does NOT play really well with portable TVs... reception is more difficult, and there is the "all or nothing" effect. While most viewers could tolerate a less than perfect picture on a small portable analog set, that option does NOT exist on ATSC, you see a perfect picture or NOTHING. In a moving vehicle, much of the time you see NOTHING. In hindsight, perhaps a system other than ATSC, which would have been more robust with motion should have been chosen. Also, there is not a lot of money to be made in $80 TVs that have limited demand.

"disgusted with the build quality and picture."

As far as build quality is concerned, I would say that my Axion appears no worse than the later Sony watchman sets in my collection.

jr