Wheeler,
****su is spot on re: the cost thing. The display you saw is a home grown PC based application that takes a feed from the whizz bang TAAATS thing. However to reduce costs the data is distributed via IP and therefore end to end transmission times can not be guaranteed. To provide radar services you have to meet minimum update rates and time from reception at the radar head to delivery to the console. The gear actually meets these most of the time but it can't guaranteed. (The only exception is YMEN)
The reality is the cost to upgrade to provide the service won't be borne under the user pays stuff. Airlines won't subsidise it and GA can't afford it. It's a bummer because it's staggeringly useful. Even in its current limited version towers that have it will tell you they hate to be without it. In procedural towers they can cut requests for pilot reports down dramatically. They look at the screen to see you pass a point used for separation and then ask to confirm to make it legal. There are some moves to allow towers to use the screen for some limited services to cut out some of the pilot reports (where the system delays would only make it safer rather than infringe the standard).
As for peering down the binos, from my limited tower experience it makes a huge difference knowing where to look to be able to see aircraft. I kept confusing the flysh!t on the windows for R22 at 3 miles!
So for the time being we're stuck with...
DNC