Skip to main content
DEAL WATCH: Keurig K-Express | 22% off $69.99

Keurig has changed the face of coffee, and snagging one of these for less than $70 is a solid deal. Read Review

BUY NOW
  • Introduction

  • Tour & Design

  • Blacks & Whites

  • Color Accuracy

  • Motion

  • Viewing Effects

  • Calibration

  • Remote Control

  • Connectivity

  • Audio & Menus

  • Formats & Media

  • Power Consumption

  • Vs Dynex DX L32 10A

  • Vs Insignia NS LDVD32Q 10A

  • Vs Sony KDL 32L5000

  • Conclusion

  • Series Comparison

  • Introduction
  • Tour & Design
  • Blacks & Whites
  • Color Accuracy
  • Motion
  • Viewing Effects
  • Calibration
  • Remote Control
  • Connectivity
  • Audio & Menus
  • Formats & Media
  • Power Consumption
  • Vs Dynex DX L32 10A
  • Vs Insignia NS LDVD32Q 10A
  • Vs Sony KDL 32L5000
  • Conclusion
  • Series Comparison

Introduction

Tour & Design

Front


The Proscan 32LC30S60 is a simple TV, with simple looks. The large bezel gives it a slightly dated look, but the TV would look inconspicuous enough in a bedroom or den. In the lower left corner, there are a few indicator lights. 

Back


The back of the TV has most of the ports, which are fortunately located towards one side. As the base of the TV does not swivel, anything the designers can do to make the ports easier to access is helpful. For information about the ports on the back of the Proscan 32LC30S60 see our Connectivity section.

Sides


The sides of the Proscan 32LC30S60 are certainly not thin, at least not by the ultra thin standards set by far more expensive TVs. On one side you'll find the onboard controls. On the other side are a small selection of ports. We wish one of the HDMIs was located here for better access. For information about the ports on the back of the Proscan 32LC30S60 see our Connectivity section.

 

Stand/Mount


The stand for the Proscan 32LC30S60 does not swivel, which can be annoying if you're trying to service a wide room – the narrow viewing angle certainly won't help that circumstance. However, the TV was easy to set up and the base feels suitably sturdy. 

 

Controls


The controls on the side of the Proscan 32LC30S60 are what you'd find on any TV. However, they're quite small and uncomfortable to push. This is hardly a damning shortfall, though. 

Remote Control


The remote looks cheap, and, well... we're sure it is cheap. But it feels remarkably solid and the buttons are a soft, springy rubber. There are a lot of buttons on the bottom that appear to control a DVD player, but the manual has no instructions regarding how to program this remote for other devices.

 

In The Box*(7.0)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 ships with a remote control, batteries, a trilingual instruction manual, and a cleaning cloth. It's what you need, but just the bare minimum. 

 

Aesthetics*(6.0)*


For this price, you shouldn't expect much. *Unobtrusiveness *is the most we think you can ask for, and the Proscan 32LC30S60 delivers. The bezel is rather wide, and the plastic is highly glossy and fingerprint prone. 

 

Blacks & Whites

Black Level*(6.49)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 did not produce a very impressive black level, but it's not the worst that we've seen. Under our testing conditions, we found that the TV produced a black level of 0.20 cd/m2. As important as this number is our observation that the TV has a tendency to crush its blacks. So much detail is lost in the shadows it's just impossible to ignore, especially when you put the Proscan next to a high performance TV. 

 

Peak Brightness*(8.36)*


The peak brightness of the Proscan 32LC30S60 measured 304.09 cd/m2, which is plenty bright for everyday viewing. As you can see from the chart below, it compares favorably with similar televisions.

 

Contrast*(6.72)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 actually had the lowest contrast ratio of the four TVs, though the score itself, which we measured at 1520:1, is not too bad. You should never expect TVs to hit the unrealistic numbers that manufacturers print on the side of box, like 1,000,000:1 contrast. Those numbers are derived through all kinds of trickery. We measure the contrast that you'd actually be able to see at the same time

 

Tunnel Contrast*(8.88)*


The tunnel contrast measures how well the Proscan 32LC30S60 was able to maintain a consistent black level, regardless of how much black or white content was on the screen. Typically, LCD TVs can handle this fine, but a plasma's blacks get brighter as the amount of black on the screen decreases. The Proscan 32LC30S60 handled this test just fine, only allowing its blacks to get brighter when they were reduced to a very small percentage of the screen. 

 

White Falloff*(9.81)*


The white falloff test measures how well a TV can maintain consistent white levels, regardless of how much white or black content is on the screen. The Proscan 32LC30S60 performed just fine here, as do most TVs. 

 

Uniformity*(5.88)*


This section examines how evenly the TV's screen is illuminated. You might be surprised, but many TVs can look quite a mess, with blotches and hotspots in random places. The Proscan 32LC30S60 had its share of problems. An screen that was fed an all-white signal looked fairly even, but an all-black screen revealed a large blotch in the bottom left that was too bright, as well as another corner showing 'flashlighting.' It was not the worst TV we've seen, but it was definitely not perfect. 

 

Greyscale Gamma*(2.67)*


The greyscale gamma test is a bit complicated to noobs, but we'll try and make it simple. The gamma is the ramp-up from blacks to white, with all of the grey values in between. The number describes the slope of the curve (mathematically). An ideal curve is somewhere between 2.1 and 2.2.

The shape of the curve shows how well the TV actually transitioned from point to point in the greyscale. What the chart below is showing you is the abysmal job that the Proscan 32LC30S60 does with shadow details. That portion of the slope on the lower left – that should gradually slope upward. Instead, it's lying horizontal and flat, meaning all of that information is basically treated as the same, undifferentiated black. It's a modern day tragedy. 

 

Resolution Scaling*(3.59)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 is a native 720p TV, which means that all the 1080i and 1080p signals from your cable TV, video game systems, and Blu-Ray players need to be processed and down-converted. This complexity of this problem can be forgotten, especially when we're used to reviewing good TVs that perform the task admirably. Sadly, we were reminded of that very complexity by arthroscopes 32LC30S60, which did a shockingly bad job of it. Let's look at each alternate resolution independently. 

480p*(0.0)*

The 480p content we looked at was the best of the bunch (and it wasn't that good). The TV lost 3% of the top and bottom, and 3% of the sides, due to overscan. However, the rest of the test patterns were at least passable.

1080i*(0.0)*

The 1080i downconversion result was shockingly bad. When confronted with high frequency patterns – similar to what you might see in footage of tweed or seersucker clothing, patterned ties, fences, or elsewhere – the Proscan 32LC30S60 produced terrible Moire patterns that vibrated or blinked. Fine detail such as small text was nearly illegible. 

1080p*(0.0)*

The 1080p footage was only a little better than 1080i. The Moire patterns appeared in high frequency patterns, but it didn't flash or blink.

Color Accuracy

Color Temperature*(0.01)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 has a very hard time maintaining a consistent color temperature. No, the chart below should not look anything like that. Anything that strays outside of that small green area called the 'Perceptible Error Limit' is, well... perceptible. And the problems with the Proscan's white balance are indeed perceptible to the naked eye. This is a terrible performance, but nothing that we haven't seen in equally inexpensive TVs. 

 

RGB Curves*(7.71)*


The RGB curves test measures how well the TV transitions from shadows to highlights in each of the three color channels – red, green, and blue. The Proscan 32LC30S60 is actually not to bad here, despite grievous failures in other tests. As you can see from the chart below, the curves are not necessarily smooth, but there are few major jagged points in the lines. This indicates that the transitions should be relatively smooth when you're looking at an image of a single color with lots of gradation, like a green leaf or a red silk shirt.

The problem, which we also saw in the greyscale gamma test, is that too much detail is lost in the shadows. Note how much of the left-most portion of the line is flat. There's no detail there.

The bars below are digital recreations (thanks to Photoshop, scripts, and editorial cleverness) that give you a visual representation of the red, green, and blue response curves from the chart above..

 

 

 

Color Gamut*(4.08)*


The color gamut test evaluates how well a TV corresponds to the rec. 709 color standard. The Proscan 32LC30S60 performed adequately. The greens were the furthest off, being too saturated, as well as the white point (the circle in the center), which is far, far too blue. We confirmed similar findings with our own eyes. 

The table below is a detailed look at how each of the triangles corners matched up with the rec. 709 numbers.

 

 

Motion

Motion Smoothness*(3.5)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 seemed to have a lot of problems with producing smooth, seamless motion. In our testing (which is, of course, designed to challenge a TV), the Proscan showed a lot of motion judder. Perfectly straight vertical lines became slanted and showed heavy aliasing when in motion. When the footage was 1080i, these problems were most emphasized. When the footage was 1080p or 720p, it was slightly better.

When watching ordinary HD or standard def cable, the motion smoothness was less of a problem, but it was hard to overlook the lack of detail in the shadows, and the occasional color banding in areas of gradation.

 

Motion Artifacting*(3.75)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 also has the unfortunate tendency to produce a noticeable amount of motion artifacting. There were false color trails and blinking in areas of high contrast. As we mentioned above, 1080i footage was the most egregious, but 720p and 1080p showed artifacting, as well. 

 

3:2 Pulldown & 24fps*(4.0)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 can render 24fps footage and 3:2 pulldown, it just can't do it all that smoothly. As with our other motion tests, we saw some judder in panning scenes. 

 

Viewing Effects

Viewing Angle*(2.44)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 has a relatively narrow viewing angle, which is sad but expected with LCD televisions. We measured the exact viewing angle (the point at which the TV's contrast ratio is reduced by 50%) to be 18 degrees from center in either direction, making a total viewing angle 36 degrees. 

 

Reflectance*(6.0)*


The screen on the Proscan 32LC30S60 is merely adequate at avoiding reflection from exterior lights. If the TV is displaying all-white screen, lights come in at an angle or lights shining on the viewer are hardly noticeable. If the light is facing the screen directly, you'll see a sharp white light surrounded by a soft glow.

If the TV is displaying an all black screen, the reflection is significantly worse. The diffused glow is larger no matter what angle the light is coming in at. Reflections of you, the viewer, or objects in the room, are pretty clearly visible. When the light is pointed directly at the screen, it's very difficult to see anything but the reflection.

The Proscan 32LC30S60 is not the worst LCD screen we've seen in terms of reflection, but it's definitely not the best. 

 

Video Processing*(2.0)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 has very few options for video processing features. That's fine with us, as so many TVs load up on features that end up hurting, rather than helping, the overall image quality. The features on the Proscan don't seem to do much at all. 

 

 

Calibration

Calibration


[

](http://www.displaymate.com/)The calibration process for the Proscan 32LC30S60 was rather frustrating for us, because the TV is simply not capable of conforming to our testing standards. You see, the starting point for the process is to find the mode that puts the TV's color temperature closest to 6500 degrees. TVs rarely hit this number spot on, but nearly all of them get close.

The Proscan 32LC30S60 did not get close, despite our thorough investigation of every setting on the TV, then a recheck of the testing equipment using other televisions. Mind you, the color temperature has no effect on the efficacy of most of our testing, but it does point to a unique and noticeable flaw in the Proscan – the picture is visibly too cool (bluish). 

 

Video Modes


There are four video modes on the Proscan 32LC30S60. 

 

 

Remote Control

Ergonomics & Durability*(6.0)*


The remote control for the Proscan 32LC30S60 looks shockingly and alarmingly cheap, but it does the job. First of all, despite the cheap look, this remote does not bend or squeak, unlike most remotes. Also, the buttons look cheap, but it has a nice, squishy feel without any noise.

 

Button Layout & Use*(4.5)*


The remote is long and thin, so you'll never be able to reach all the buttons without choking up or down. Numbers are at the top, volume and channel up/down are in the center, and the menu buttons are below that. The directional buttons are less responsive than we would like, and a little small compared to the gigantic Enter button.

The bottom quarter of the remote control is a series of buttons that look to be intended for DVD player controls. However, there is no information in the manual as to how to program the remote to work with anything else. This puzzle only leaves us with the suspicion that Proscan either built or purchased a stock remote for several devices, and just threw it in the box with the 32LC30S60.

 

Programming & Flexibility*(0.0)*


The remote for the Proscan 32LC30S60 does not seem to be programmable. At least there is no information in that direction in the manual. 

 

 

Connectivity

Input Ports*(5.5)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 has a rather limited number of ports compared to more expensive HDTVs, but there's enough here for very basic home theaters. In total, the input ports include: 1 composite video, 1 S-Video, 2 component video, 2 HDMI, 1 VGA with accompanying 1/8-inch audio jack, 1 coax antenna/cable, and 3 analog audio ports.

The ports are split up between the back of the TV and the left side. It seems like putting one of the HDMI ports and one of the component AVs on the side might have made it easier to get access to them in a hurry. The base of the TV does not swivel, making it a little trickier to reach the back.

 

 

Output Ports*(1.0)*


There are two output ports on the Proscan 32LC30S60, an analog audio port on the back and a headphone jack on the side. It's unusual that modern HDTVs lack a digital audio out, but this is a budget model. It's also a little unusual for TVs to have a headphone jack, but it's a welcome addition. 

 

Other Connections*(0.0)*


There are no other connections on the Proscan 32LC30S60. 

 

Media*(0.0)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 does not have any 'media ports,' like USB, media card slots, or a DVD player. 

 

Placement*(4.0)*


The ports are located on the back and the left side. Reaching the rear ports is not too hard because 32 inches is just not that large. It's a different story on 50-inch TVs. We wish that Proscan had put one of the HDMI ports on the side rather than the back, but the overall port placement is satisfactory. 

 

Audio & Menus

Audio Quality*(4.0)*


The speakers built into the Proscan 32LC30S60 are not very good, as you might expect. The bass response is quite muddy, and only became more muffled when we tried playing with the equalizers. The mids and treble, which are easier to produce on small speakers, are fine, but certainly not sparkling.

As per usual, the TV includes the option for a fakey surround sound. The actual effect crushes some of the mid-tones and only creates the slightest illusion of the speakers being farther apart.

 

Menu Interface*(5.0)*


The menu on the Proscan 32LC30S60 is simple, yet annoying. Because there are so few special features, the menu is abbreviated, and thus easy to navigate. You can't get lost like you might in the menus of the most expensive TVs. The problem with this menu is that it only displays on the screen for a few seconds before disappearing. As you're playing around with the features, you constantly have to start back at the beginning. The other problem is the unresponsive remote control, which occasionally forces you to hit a button multiple times before responding. 

Overall, it's certainly not terrible, and could be appropriate for non-technophiles, but is frustrating for power users.

 

Manual*(4.0)*


The instruction manual for the Proscan 32LC30S60 is quite brief and a bit scattered. For instance, there's a whole diagram devoted to the effective viewing angle of the infrared remote control sensor, but not a single word describing any of the special processing features like 'Black Level Extender' or 'Peak White Limiter.' There's also no index at the end for searching out key terms.

You can find the Proscan 32LC30S60's manual online here.

 

 

Formats & Media

Formats*(6.0)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 is a native 720p television, which means it has to downscale 1080i and 1080p content in order to display it. In case you were not aware, simply shrinking content is not as simple as it sounds, nor is it a simple thing engineer. As testament to this fact, witness the abysmal job that the Proscan 32LC30S60 does when fed 1080i content. We cover in detail at the bottom of the Blacks & Whites performance page

 

Photo Playback*(0.0)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 does not have the ability to play back photos, as it does not have a USB port or media cart slot. 

 

Music & Video Playback*(0.0)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 cannot play back music or videos through memory cards or thumb drives. 

 

Streaming Playback*(0.0)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 does not have any streaming content capabilities. 

 

Other Media*(0.0)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 does not support any other type of media playback. 

 

 

Power Consumption

Power Consumption*(9.06)*


The Proscan 32LC30S60 is an LCD television, and as such, the power draw is not too terrible. We found it to be on average with its competition, and far less expensive to fuel than plasmas. Strangely, though, the Proscan does not offer the ability to raise or lower the backlight, which is typically the manner by which you control the power consumption. Almost every LCD TV gives you that option. 

 

 

Vs Dynex DX L32 10A

Value Comparison Summary


The Dynex was a terribly weak performer in most of our testing, and the Proscan was frequently neck-and-neck. If you're dead set on buying a budget TV, skip them both and check out the Insignia NA-LDVD32Q-10A (next page), which has small leads in almost every category.

Blacks & Whites


The Dynex clearly had the advantage here in blacks & whites performance. The black levels were much deeper than the Proscan. Though the numeric difference between the peak whites looks better (208 versus 304), the brightness measurements are on a logarithmic scale – at the low end, even small numeric differences are visibly obvious to the eye.

 

Color Accuracy


The white balance on both of these TVs is clearly terrible. The charts should look like squiggly, horizontal lines, not killer stalactites. The rest of the color performance was not quite so bad, with the Proscan beating the Dynex by a large margin when it comes to producing smooth color gradations.

 

 

 

Motion


The motion performance of the Proscan 32LC30S60 was pretty bad, so most comparison TVs beat it, including the Dynex. The Dynex showed less a smoother picture, with very little artifacting. 

 

Viewing Effects


The viewing angle on the Proscan was wider, by about 8 degrees in total. However, we liked the colors retention that the Dynex showed when looking at it from an angle (resulting in a slightly higher score). Neither of these viewing angles are terribly impressive, especially compared to plasma TVs.

 

Connectivity


The Dynex beats the Proscan at connectivity, hands down. It has an additional HDMI, an additional analog audio import, and a digital audio output.

**
**

Vs Insignia NS LDVD32Q 10A

Value Comparison Summary


The Insignia NS-LDVD32Q-10A is not a great television, but it's a decent one, with surprisingly deep blacks and good contrast ratio. At any rate, it performs better than the Proscan 32LC30S60, and offers more ports, as well as a built-in DVD player. The Insignia is definitely the better buy. 

Blacks & Whites


The Insignia offers a far better blacks & whites performance, with both deeper blacks and whiter whites. As you can see from the chart below, the result is a contrast ratio more than double the Proscan.

 

Color Accuracy


The Proscan has a terrible time maintaining a consistent white balance. The Insignia, on the other hand, was fairly deft, and would be barely noticeable to the human eye. The Insignia also scored slightly higher in the RGB curve test, which measures how well a TV transitions from shadows to highlights in the red, green, and blue channels.

 

 

 

Motion


The Insignia continues to beat out the Proscan, also producing better, smoother motion, though the TV in itself is not quite satisfactory compared with our high standards.

Viewing Effects


The viewing angle was the weakest point of the Insignia NA-LDVD32Q-10A, with only about 18 degrees in total. Neither TV was great in this category, but the Proscan was less bad.

Connectivity


The Proscan falls short on ports. The Insignia trumps it with an additional HDMI and composite port, 2 more analog audio inputs, a digital audio output, and (if you really need it) a built-in DVD player.

**

**

Vs Sony KDL 32L5000

Value Comparison Summary


The Sony KDL-32L5000 is a decent television, hampered by a few drawbacks (poor audio and bad motion rendering, namely) that bar it from competing with the big boys. However, here in pool of budget TVs, it's the leader of the pack. Sure, it costs $200 more than the Proscan, but there's a lot more juice in its performance, as well as more ports.

Blacks & Whites


The Sony KDL-32L5000 was the better of the two performers here in black & white testing. The black was deeper, and the peak white was more or less the same as the Proscan. As a result of the better black level, the contrast ratio was much higher.

 

Color Accuracy


The Sony was much better at maintaining a consistent white balance than the Proscan. There's no comparison, if you look at the charts below. The other two color tests, the RGB curves and Color Accuracy, were closer in score. Neither was great at pulling detail from the shadows.

 

 

 

Motion


The Sony seemed to have nearly as many problems with motion smoothness and artifacting as the Proscan did. Neither TV was a great performer, and produced strange effects from moving objects that were simply too distracting to ignore.

 

Viewing Effects


The viewing angle on the Sony was the best of the four TVs in this round of comparisons, measuring about 25 degrees from center (or 52 degrees total viewing angle).

 

Connectivity


The Proscan is particularly weak on ports. The Sony includes an additional HDMI, an additional composite video, an additional analog audio input, and a digital audio output.

**
**

Conclusion

 

 

Series Comparison

xxLC30S60 Series


The xxLC30S60 is just two models, both focusing on the budget market. These are no-frills TVs that are skimpy on the ports and bereft of any notable features.

Meet the tester

David Kender

David Kender

Editor in Chief

@davekender

David Kender oversees content at Reviewed as the Editor in Chief. He served as managing editor and editor in chief of Reviewed's ancestor, CamcorderInfo.com, helping to grow the company from a tiny staff to one of the most influential online review resources. In his time at Reviewed, David has helped to launch over 100 product categories and written too many articles to count.

See all of David Kender's reviews

Checking our work.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

Shoot us an email

Up next