"I see one (LCD projector) all the time. I never took it apart though."

'-never took it apart-' .... you crack me up! hehe

Why haven't you commented on how the color convergence is on it by now?
Scratch that... just say what you observe the convergence to look like. Or can't you accept practical application to be of any value (like everyone else does)?

In the end that's the only thing that matters.
You could print all the data in the world to say something's technically wrong, but when you look at it and it and the color appears perfectly aligned... the data is pointless.

The color wheel in the Plus Piano was suposed to be technically fast enough so that rainbow effect was eliminated, but I saw it to a small degree and my wife saw it much more.

"2D vs. 1D arrays, I appreciate the economies that could be enjoyed with a 1D system, but I tend to think, given the fact that MEMS is virtually certain to improve in quality and drop in price by orders of magnitude as time goes by, a 2D solution probably has better legs."

That doesn't make any sense since the only 1D array mentioned is ALSO a MEMS device!?!?

The GLV's ribbons are a simpler system mechanically than the hinged DLP mirrors (totally frictionless movement vs. mirror hinges that can and do get stuck)... so that's also a factor of cost and percentage of 'bad chips' from the production line.

"I'm not sure how broad or how defensable the TI DMD patents are, but I hope they don't completely preclude competitors from creating MEMS based 2D solutions."

They don't. There have already been other 2D array MEMS systems. One was kind of a cross between the DLP and the GLV design where square pixel elements (like DLP) deflected light by the center pulling in and out (like the GLV ribbons). Nothing's come of this since the years ago I heard about it, so I doubt anything ever will.

I doubt another company could sweep in and produce an equal quality DLP knock-off even if TI had no patants on it (though they of course do).

I find technology knock-offs that can match the original are only found in systems that have been fully refined and the knock off just manages to hit the same clear target 'cheaper'.
Things like DLP chips are still moving targets... unless the pixels stick.

Oh man! Now THAT was an awful GEEK joke. I'll never live it down!

The DLP chips are very costly now and while I'm sure they'll get cheaper they're not made like typical ICs.
LCD and LCoS should always be cheaper to make if produced in similar volumes. Like I said 3 chip LCD projectors have always been cheaper than 1 chip DLP.

Remember that if a pixel gets stuck on DLP it's a very noticable black dot (they get stuck 'off').

LCD and more importantly IMO LCoS has much less problems with bad pixels. And even 'if' a pixel goes bad on a 3 chip system you still get the two other colors.

This won't be 'right' obviously, but it's much less noticable than a constant black dot, and the chance of 2 or all 3 colors of the same pixel going bad are next to impossible (unless the whole chip set gets damaged or something goofy like that).

Having seen several front and rear DLP projectors with stuck pixels (of the small total number of systems I've seen) and having seen many angry posts on AVSforum from (formerly) happy DLP owners who later got hit with a stuck pixel one day... this will always worry me about this one chip system.