Is "projector paint" for walls worth the extra expense? Also, what is a good paint?

I just bought a Sanyo PLV-Z60 720p LCD projector. I have it set up with a 16' throw distance which is basically the length of my room. I am new to this, so I have not done any calibration except really using the focus ring. I am running a BD player through it.

The picture is HUGE and takes up almost the entire blank wall, I would say about a 160" picture if not a bit bigger. The wall is about 8' X 12'

A screen is not really an option for me at this time due to the set up of my room. Maybe down the line when I set something up in my basement.

So I am looking at painting the wall. Right now it is sort of a very light green (certainly not ideal). I pretty much have to go with white because my girlfriend does not want the wall grey. Plus, I have a very light controlled room and would prefer a brighter picture than deeper blacks.

So, any recommendations for a paint? I heard that Behr's Ultra Pure White in a Matte finish is good. But then I saw this paint:

http://www.paintonscreen.com/

and I was wondering if it would be a big difference. The downside is that it costs $180 per gallon.

Any advice would be much appreciated. I am pretty much flying blind here. Thank you !!

The special paint would be better, but it may not be worth the difference in price to you. I have read that Home Depot has a formula for an off white with silver added in. I'd give them a visit as see if they have that first. It may be just what the Doctor ordered.
Be sure to do the borders in a deep black.

I just used standard flat wall paint with a hint of grey mixed in. Works wonderfully, but I did not compare it to any of the expensive theater paints. They could be better, but I can't imagine they would be THAT much better. I think Goo was around $300 when I looked into it....the paint I used was $10 :)

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Originally Posted by codecougar

I just bought a Sanyo PLV-Z60 720p LCD projector. I have it set up with a 16' throw distance which is basically the length of my room. I am new to this, so I have not done any calibration except really using the focus ring. I am running a BD player through it.

So, any recommendations for a paint? I heard that Behr's Ultra Pure White in a Matte finish is good. But then I saw this paint:

http://www.paintonscreen.com/

and I was wondering if it would be a big difference. The downside is that it costs $180 per gallon.

Any advice would be much appreciated. I am pretty much flying blind here. Thank you !!

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...that you must be very careful with this process or you can end up with a mess. $180 per gallon is peanuts compared to a screen. We're going to get a projector in the near future after we move and I discussed the screen versus paint with him. He strongly suggested I hire a professional who has good references. I'm sure a few others may chime in, but as I said, my son is a real geek with this stuff, and he's 26, not 12 if you were wondering.

I did some research on the net and found a really cool story about a guy who went the special paint route, and this has a wealth of information and confirms pretty much all the things my son warned me about. Go <a href="http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/projector-screen-1.shtml">here</a> and check it out, and be sure to click on Parts II and III. They really give you all the details so you can do the job right if you're going to tackle it yourself.

Good info here, thanks guys.

After mulling it over for the past few days, I decided to get a screen instead. I am going to have to do some room rearrangement to make it work, but it appears do-able. I ordered a 106" Da-Lite High Power. Can't wait for it to arrive.