I suspect the real problem there is that consumer devices are sold at or below cost and the data they send home makes up for the lost revenue.

The parent poster was explicitly mentioning those willing to pay a premium. If people aren't willing to pay a premium for a niche product, that's explicitly telling the market that this niche shouldn't exist as a separate niche and the cheaper mass-market solution will do just fine.

Yeah, I looked at those last time I replaced my TV. You also need to be able to locate a reseller who will sell to private individuals, which can be difficult in some location.