Has anyone used a digital projector as a spotlight or as a fixed light for a special effect?

It seems that it would offer many advantages in the way of special effects, custom gobos, tinted light, edges that can be hard or soft, built in shaping of the light, adding a bit more light to a solo spot or monolog with out the hard pspotlight effect. variable intensity. It could have built in partial scrims. Colored edges around a white center, many possibilities. AND by mounting the projector on a tripod and pan head (with a conventional handle) it could probably be used as a follow spot.

 

I'm not too sure about light output (they certainly will be much lower than a carbon arc) but it seems to me to be a handy addition in many applications. Am I reinventing the wheel? Thoughts?

I've thought about using digital projectors as lighting instruments the same way you have, but I haven't yet, mostly because 1) the intensity of the light isn't bright enough, 2) the blacks aren't dark enough, and 3) the lamp/optics cost a TON to replace, and you _will_ have to replace them often.  For the cost of a qualilty projector, you can purchase a heck of a lot of quality lighting instruments better suited to your needs.