The Wilmington, N.C., analog shutdown, before the end of the 2008 hurricane season, highlighted concerns about the lack of portable DTV receivers. This week TWICE reported Epoq has introduced a line of portable DTV sets. The EPT-LC7AT has a retail-selling price of $279. It provides a 7-inch screen with 480x230 pixel resolution.

A quick Web search indicated it is already available for purchase on-line. The antenna is separate from the display unit, which should make it easier to position for reliable reception. The EDP-AT02 ($249 retail) includes an ATSC tuner and USB2.0 and SD/MS/MMC memory card slots to allow playing music and sound from MP3, MP4, and WMA A/V files without a computer.

Epoq plans to introduce a 10-inch portable TV, the EPT-LC10AT with 480x800 pixel resolution and functionality similar to the 7-inch model.