Lena,

I think the future will be dominated by microdisplays in general. When production really ramps up (if ever) they'll be cheaper than CRT to make, and have in most ways at least an 'as good as CRT' picture. Probably better overall in the future.
And the sets are inherently lighter and thinner depth which is good in general I think, but not a big deal to me.

Whether that microdisplay is DLP or LCoS or something 'down the road' like GLV who can say, but since LCD is the oldest of the microdisplays and DLP is currently dominant I don't think LCD will make any further gains (even though I think it's drastically improved over the years to a pretty high quality level).

Since you bring up the GrandWega... I can say personally I don't have ANY idea what the specs are, but that I've seen it in person and found that I couldn't adjust it to have a black level anywhere close to what a CRT RP can do. It's dark gray at best IMO.

LCD also has a larger pixel gap than DLP or LCoS which at a typical viewing distance (depends on the screen size) I find to be 'slight' but noticable.
I'm not big on the color I saw from it compared to CRT either. And the bulb life/durability/heat/fan noise.

Or the current higher price for what I feel is much lower performance.
Sorry, but I have to call 'em like I see 'em. I didn't want to bring it up, but since you mentioned it...

Also most people seem to flip out over thin LCD comp. monitors, but I think the pixel gaps make them look much worse than direct view CRT (which again.. it still far cheaper too).

I find the same with Plasma though, and while I find the black level fine w/ plasma giving it the nob IMO over LCD, it (like direct view CRT's) doesn't have that 'filmic look'.
I still can't define what that is though? Maybe it's too high contrast? Naw.. that doesn't sound right? Maybe it's the glass surface that bothers me. Maybe that only projection (either front OR rear) looks 'filmic' to me?? I don't know what it is.

As for LCoS... The companies you mentioned seemed to mostly be the big display companies. They like to act like they are developing these technologies but it's small companies like Three-Five System, InViso (sp?) Colorado Microdisplay (that changed it's name I think recently) ect.. that are actually developing these chips.

Like how Sony will take credit for the GLV chip (probably renaming it like they typically do) even though it was Silicon Light Machines that developed it several years ago.

I think JVC actually in-house developed their LCoS systems though.
They're still the only ones who've been able to ramp up and bring this technology to market.
They have been doing it for years and you can read rave reviews about their projectors (or better still if you can go see one in person).
They were supose to release a RP set in the U.S. but for some reason they pulled back?? I think they did release this ovreseas though? I wish I had more details.

Samsung WAS going to release a LCoS RP but the quality of the chip supply was not consistent (from what I 'heard'). They said 'F-it! and went with DLP instad which TI has a very consistent production of.

Same thing happened to the LCoS RCA set.
Though RCA has so far just stuck to CRT -not that RCA or Samsung are very respected brands so no loss I think. Maybe they just couldn't do the inovations that need to be done.

LCoS may never get anywhere beyond being JVC only if the big companies don't support these little ones who are developing it.

The DLP chip works so 'why bother with anything else' these companies might be saying?

Those who are REALLY into front projection like how LCoS is 3 chip so you get full color control and no rainbow for anyone and perfect 'real world'color convergence.
(Charlie can keep 2nd guessing this, but he needs to actually go SEE one).
It has as tight a pixel gap as DLP and doesn't have any mechanical mirrors to get stuck.

In ramped up production there's no reason why it wouldn't always be a cheaper system than DLP. At the same resolution 3 chip LCDs have always been quite a bit cheaper than 1 chip DLP. Millions of moving mirrors will always cost a LOT to make.
LCoS is basically not any costlier than LCD. The displays coming from these smaller companies just need to be perfected I think, or implemented by some very skilled design people?

Three-Five systems has developed an LCoS chip that's far higher rez than any DLP (JVC has chips like this too). And they have full color engine and optics systems in place. Why aren't they in front and rear projectors like DLP??? I don't know. I'm certainly trying to find out though.
JVC has done a 'little bit' of marketing their chips to other companies, but so far not much. Maybe if they pushed it like TI does for DLP they'd make some real big waves.

AVSforum where there's LOTS of talk on projectors in every technical detail imaginable is marketing their own projector and it's LCoS.
I think it's the best elements of all the microdiplay designs. And every element of it has been shown to work just as claimed in actual production applications.

Despite this, it may never go anywhere.

Like how alternative engine designs have been developed over the years, but the big car makers want to stick with 4 stroke piston/gas powered so all the others have disappeared (the rare rotary engine in the Mazda RX-7/8 is along these lines as are electric/fuel cell vehicles that are only recently being heavily developed due to government pressure and oil supply threat).