Dell M209X Projector Menus
The M209X menu layout is the same as some previous Dell's we have reviewed. Pressing the Menu button on the Dell remote control, or the projector's control panel, brings up the main menu, which runs across the bottom of the screen (shown below).
Scrolling (left or right) to the different sub-menus, and then pressing the Enter button results in selecting that sub-menu, which then pops up, above the main menu.
The input menu (not shown), provides the usual manual selection of an input source, or you can select Auto, which lets the M209X automatically locate and select the first live source it sees.
The Auto-Adjust sub-menu, allows the Dell to "do its thing" and lock into the selected source, and do what it takes to get the best possible image.
Next comes the Setup menu. This menu allows manual or automatic adjustment of keystone correction. It also offers manual control of the aspect ratio.
The Picture sub-menu has most of the usual goodies for adjusting the image, including: Brightness, Contrast, Color Temperature, and individual Red, Green, and Blue color adjustments. There are three color temp choices - Low, Mid, and High, as well as a Custom, that you can adjust manually.
Next, moving right, comes the Display sub-menu, shown to the right here. This menu, of particular note, offers a choice of five video modes, including PC, Movie, sRGB, Game and once again, a Custom mode you can setup yourself.
In addition, there is a digital zoom control, and adjustments for White intensity, and Degamma.
Moving over one more on the Main menu, you will find the Lamp sub-menu. As you would expect, the Lamp menu lets you select the full power lamp mode, or lower power Eco-mode. This menu also tracks lamp hours, lets you engage Power Saving which will shut down the projector after a period of time with no active source. There is also a Quick Shutdown mode, for those in a hurry, and, of course, the Lamp Reset, needed when you replace an old lamp.
Next comes the Language menu, allowing you a choice of about a dozen different languages (more than most), and finally, a sub-menu simply labeled Others.
The Others menu offers control of volume (the Dell as a single 1 watt speaker), and it lets you select HDMI or Analog for your audio source. (Remember, an HDMI input carries audio as well as video.)
You can use this menu to save a custom graphic for your startup screen, control the menus themselves, in terms of how long they appear on the screen, how transparent they are, etc.. From this menu, you can also password protect the projector.
Also, of significant importance, is the Factory Reset, which, of course, returns all the settings of the M209X to their original factory defaults.