Fundamental design work for off-axis projection has been going on for over 20 years. I had a young assistant professor working the problem when I was a student. Optical manufacturing technology has advanced a good deal to better manufacture the irregular and non-symmetrical optics needed for these uses.
We'll see. I've calibrated the Sony VPL-VZ1000ES short throw laser. It was set up as precisely as possible by the installation company, and we couldn't get a straight line out of it. While most people wowed by big screens wouldn't complain, anyone with a sharp eye would notice it, not to mention differences in focus from center to edge. For the record I'm not expecting these devices to be precise. They are what they are: big screens from short distances. It's super cool but it can't replace a long throw unit if high performance is also expected.
