Why you should NOT buy Target’s TruTech brand

Here’s a rant/report on an experience I had with Target Stores that might prove helpful as you think about your interactions with customers, how you support them and what it does for a brand — and a huge caution if you ever considering buying Target’s consumer electronics brand, TruTech.

Before I get started some disclosure is necessary: my wife was once the audio buyer for Target and I was a manufacturer’s representative calling on her with Pioneer Electronics (no…I didn’t ask her out while she was a buyer but waited until she was promoted out of the area into a non-conflict of interest position…but I digress). So we both know this game well and I can only imagine what Joe SixPack thinks since alot of “Joe’s” seem to be having similar experiences.

In November of 2006, I purchased a Target brand TV/DVD combo for my first year college daughter (this Target “TruTech” model). It was cheap but more than sufficient for her needs. When plugging the batteries into the remote I remarked on how cheap it was and — having broken and lost many remotes in my day — was not terribly concerned since universal remotes are so easy to find and cheap to buy…

…unless you’re a major mass merchandiser that buys from multiple vendors that do not offer or publish their remote control codes and have one place to buy a replacement for nearly 17% of the retail price of the unit itself!

(Please note the updates at the bottom of the next page)

I couldn’t find the original manual (who of us with *any* geek street cred would keep a manual for a TV/DVD combo for God’s sake!) so didn’t have the customer service number. Turns out there are no codes available *and* Target has used multiple OEM vendors to make the TruTech branded consumer electronics. Therefore, no universal remotes work. I bought one figuring I’d solve the problem, and after a couple of hours of screwing around (and reading this and all of these on Google, for example), I ended up at Alco Electronics support (just one of the Target TruTech OEM vendors) who indicated that “LG or Goldstar codes might work”.

They didn’t nor could the universal remote find a compatible code in “seek” mode.

I finally reached out to Target customer support. The first guy was helpful and indicated Starlite Consumer Electronics had supplied these particular models (which I think is Funai Electronics in Hong Kong) though calling back later a second woman hung up on me which was disconcerting. The Starlite 800# call was next and I talked to a very curt woman who sternly proclaimed, “NO…we do NOT publish the codes and we’ve TOLD THEM IN HONG KONG what a problem this is but they haven’t done anything yet.

She indicated that — even though I could purchase one of a dozen or so universal remotes on a Target endcap for under the amount — she’d help me get a replacement remote for $30 and it would ship “sometime in the next couple of days and you will probably get it next week.

$30 for a cheesy and cheap plastic remote (which is why it broke in the first place) for a TV/DVD combo set that retails for $179?  It might ship in a couple of days and I might get it next week? WTF is THAT all about? In a day of great customer service, conversational marketing and precision in shipping information, this is baffling for a retailer the size of Target.

My wife calmly explained to me over lunch that writing a letter addressed to Target Corp and “video buyer” would probably be the best way to reach someone and indicate change was required. I thought I’d do this post first and reference it in the letter.

Here’s the deal: this is completely unacceptable and my time is too precious than to spend more than 10 minutes on this matter (which has been about the amount of time I’ve spent in the past replacing remotes for an untold number of devices). If it wasn’t for my little girl asking, “So Dad…have you been able to get me a remote yet?” I would’ve given up and bought another set (and for what I charge for consulting I could’ve bought 3 or 4 of the damn things and been done with it…but it’s the principle of the thing that gets me).

Furthermore, not either stocking replacement remotes or using the power, might and buying influence of Target Stores to DEMAND that the OEM manufacturer bend-over-backwards to support this TruTech brand by publishing codes or buying infrared (IR) chips from a mainstream vendor so universal remotes are supported is mystifying.

My faith was in the Target brand and the ethics expressed by my bride when she was buying audio (as well as other buyers I’ve known over the years). I expect nothing less of *anything* Target carries but I’ll *never* buy TruTech again and suggest you don’t either until such time that Target gets their act together.

UPDATE 10/25/08: Two
pieces of interesting news today: One is that I just checked, and there have been 37,086 pageviews of this post since it went live in May of 2007. The other is the most distressing as my daughter just informed me that the TV is making such a loud audio crackling noise (she hits it to make it stop) that she wants to make it go away (and we’ll buy her a new one for Christmas, no doubt, and there isn’t a snowballs-chance-in-Hell it’ll be a Trutech!).

So this means that THIS TV LASTED FOR ONE YEAR AND FIVE MONTHS since there’s no way it would be cost-effective to have it repaired.

UPDATE 12/25/07: I’ve been amazed at the hundreds of pageviews of this post every day between the day after Thanksgiving and today, Christmas day (over 16,000 total so far). I’ve received emails from people, you can read the comments, and see for yourself that there is a tremendous amount of dissatisfaction with the Trutech products. Please note that I cannot do anything myself but have, in fact, reached out via email to Kimberly Youngstrom (kyoungstrom@kaplowpr.com) who is the person sanctioned as responsible for public relations for the Target Owned Brands. Ms. Youngstrom is with Target’s public relations agency in New York, Kaplow PR. I’ve emailed twice, the last time on November 26th but there has been no response.

UPDATE 9/3/07: This post has been amazing in the HUGE number of people that have read it (especially during this back-to-school season) and, most troubling, how many have commented AND have sent me emails asking for help. Target has used at least two vendors to make electronics for the TruTech brand. I’ve tried to locate the electronics buyer for Target Stores responsible for this brand, but after four hours of trying I’ve given up. I’d recommend calling Target Customer Service (1.800.440.0680) and let them know of your displeasure and what you could and should do.

141 Comments

  1. MN Headhunter/Nerd Search on June 12, 2007 at 12:20 am

    My 30 Day Odyssey With Comcast

    I had a conversation with a friend of mine regarding some customer service issues he was having with Best Buy and he asked me what my issues with Comcast had been and how come I never wrote about it. What



  2. Bonita on June 15, 2007 at 12:10 pm

    I was able to get a universal remote to “find” the code for the True Tech TV I purchased at Target. The remote that worked was purchased at Walgreens and it is a Innovage Product. Actually, it is a jumbo universal remote, so that I can’t lose it under all my paperwork on my desk. I guess I got lucky, because getting my jumbo remote to find the code for the true tech was a piece of cake.



  3. Shar on July 31, 2007 at 10:16 am

    I’m with you on the Trutech issue though mine is for a different reason. I bought the Trutech TV/DVD combo. After the first movie it wouldn’t load DVDs anymore. I took it back and the customer service person assured me that mine was the very first one that had been returned. So I ended up getting another one. Now while the DVD player does work fine, after only a few months of use, the screen won’t stop jumping. Nothing has helped. I truly regret buying the Trutech brand and will never again buy anything of that brand.



  4. donna on August 1, 2007 at 10:36 am

    I agree! My unit worked fine for 4 months. Then the power went off. I haven’t been able to contact the Trutech Service number 1-888-6TRUTECH. The line only rings busy. The manual is no help either. This is the crappist piece of junk I have ever purchased!!!! Consumer beware.



  5. sioux on August 6, 2007 at 6:50 pm

    Wow! Shure wish I’d read this before buying the TV/DVD combo by T..Tech. Have had it a month and played only 2 dvds (not hooked to tv service/purch only for playback). Will now not open to load a third!!!!!!!!!!

    NEVER buy one of these products! Gotta hope I can get money back.
    S



  6. Jana Fauver on August 6, 2007 at 7:03 pm

    This is the worst tv i have ever seen. the dvd doesn’t work and without a cable box the tv doesn’t either. there’s no menu option for cable. and the two numbers i have found are answering machines or are busy.

    go walmart



  7. Nichelle on August 9, 2007 at 1:59 pm

    i have a question… has your daughter ever tried to watch certain shows on television or even put in a dvd and the trutech tv jus turns to this blue screen thats says tv-ma… and thats it… and thats jus freakin me out because im an computer electronic expert… see my mom bought me a trutech tv for christmas as a house warming gift… well i threw the box away like most people (with all the styrofoam, warranties, manual etc) and mines isnt a dvd combo! its a regular tv! so how is it that the tv knows that i put a tv-ma rated movie inn my playstation 3? and who authorized and parental block? all i did was plug it in.. never touched any settings.. i dont have kids! and by readin your letter i guess its no use in pursuing my search because i’ve been sent thru the exact same thing as u within the past hour…. (sigh) im glad i read this…. i guess i can jus toss that junk in the trash..



  8. JJBrunner on August 16, 2007 at 10:31 am

    I bought a trutech VHS/DVD writer a while back. Out of the box, everything played correctly. However, it needed oiling!

    The gears moving the tape in the VHS squeaked so loudly it made watching tapes impossible. I’m a professionally trained engineer, and I’ve never had to, or heard of anyone else having to, oil a VHS player. In their defense, a little oil did clear up the problem. But seriously… oiling a VHS player?

    The menu system in the DVD player literally takes between 5 and 10 minutes to start up, depending on the DVD. This was a huge annoyance, bordering on the absurd. But this I could have lived with, though it was a constant source of complaints from my girlfriend: “Why couldn’t you shell out a few extra dollars and get a real player? Come on Joe, Trutech? You knew something like this was going to happen!”

    Finally, the whole system gave up the ghost after only about a year. Now the LED just blinks “Hello” and the screen eternally shows blue. This was the most expensive paperweight I’ve ever bought. To be honest, I’m glad it’s dead.



  9. karen on August 18, 2007 at 12:27 pm

    Okay, so I have had mine for a year, combo, NO problems but now I just want the codes for my RCA directv remote…some of you mention having found the codes–want to share them??? Pretty please, since I obviously am only going to be able to use it for a short time!



  10. mary bohnstedt on August 19, 2007 at 1:48 pm

    My wonderful boyfriend of fourteen years bought me the TRUETECH TV/DVD unit for my bedroom as a surprise. Yes, the gesture was wonderful and genuine, but the unit is, for lack of a more fitting and descriptive word, a piece of crap.

    I am a Consumer Reports subscriber and never buy anything over $20 without doing my research. My boyfriend bought the TRUETECH unit because he thought it was a great deal and Target is known for great deals. The DVD part of the unit worked about ten times. Now when you try to load a DVD, it proclaims: “Wrong disc.”

    I have had the unit about ninety days. I have searched the manual for an explanation of how to troubleshoot this problem with the DVD player. I think someone shot the manual before I got it.

    What are my chances of getting Target to take it back and exchange it for a unit that works???



  11. Jon Aparo on August 19, 2007 at 4:23 pm

    I have a trutech model zv450tt8 VHS/DVD combo. It is has a hybrid tuner. The NTSC works great. However, the ATSC tuner can’t remember any of its channels. I have to set it up, just before I watch it. Trutech Sucks. I feel like throwing it through Target’s window. $199 of crap.

    I hope somebody doing research on Trutech gets to this site before they buy.



  12. ECallery on August 19, 2007 at 7:23 pm

    I received a TruTech dvd player, model TT320, as a gift. After only a few uses the dvd player stopped working. When I press any button the power light change from blue to green and nothing happens. Nothing. It wasn’t used very often but I’ll be sure not to by anything TruTech as a replacement. I haven’t tried any customer support yet, but from what I’m reading here, I probably shouldn’t even waste my time. Don’t buy TruTech



  13. jackie on August 24, 2007 at 8:39 am

    I have a trutech CD clock radio. CD part does not work nor does the sleep button. Went on the web site on the pamphlet that was enclosed with the radio and it comes up to a porn site. Disgusting



  14. Pam on August 24, 2007 at 1:59 pm

    Trutech, stinks I have a DVD/TV 13′ combo. I purchased it about 4 months ago ( throwing away the box of course) so my 3 year old niece can watched Barbie when she visits and already it does not work. It always seem to take a long time to register when I put a movie in and now it just does not read them at all, I either a blue screen or a messahe that says no DVD. What a waste!!!!! And now I have to watch Barbie again.



  15. tasha on August 24, 2007 at 9:55 pm

    does anone have problems with volume on their TV…my trutech flatscreen has lost volume for about a week now, i am hoping it comes back…muted tV kinda sucks…it did this about 3 months after i purchased it. it continued on and off for about a week or two and then it was fine for the last 10 months. now no volume and a sad me…the TV is just a year old. any advice??? thanks



  16. all fine here on August 29, 2007 at 8:54 am

    Wow… I gotta say I’ve not had a problem yet with my 17in TV/DVD/PC TruTech LCD display.

    Sure I never use the remote (only care for 1 tv station) and I’m close enough to just switch inputs on the tv manualy since it is used for Wii and my Mac. For sound sure I do use external speakers through the headphone jack. I’ve watched the entire 24 season 1 and 5 on DVD, along with all the Harry Potter films and a few others here and there.

    I have been pleased with the display. Sure its not above EDTV, sometimes you notice ghosting… but either way It has been a great little machine.



  17. Reyes on August 30, 2007 at 2:34 pm

    Thanks to all for the feedback and to the blog for the info on Trutech. I was just about to go out and buy a TV/DVD combo that is on sale. I had a nagging feeling to do research on this brand after buying a Lite-on DVD recorder that sucked. I’ll stick tried and true brands.



  18. Andi on August 30, 2007 at 8:31 pm

    I was given a TruTech tv/dvd combo for Christmas last year. The DVD went out after two months and I returned it and got a new one (no box, no receipt.) However, I was given a return receipt and tucked it away in my wallet. (By the way, there was another woman returning the exact same tv that same time and day at Target!)
    So, needless to say, I went to take it back today (the second go-round) and my “return receipt” was EXPIRED! Gimme a friggin’ break! I hadn’t used the damn thing in a few months- it’s been in storage, and now it doesn’t work!
    How do we get a hold of TRUTECH and what are they doing to replace/remedy these issues?
    Anybody know?



  19. Lisa on September 1, 2007 at 2:01 pm

    Found your site when I thought I had failed to follow set up instructions for my new “bargain” and went looking for the 800# for Trutech. I will confirm that the 17 inch TV/DVD I purchased last night will not go past channel 13 with a direct cable connection. There is no warantee, only a 90 day return policy on your receipt and the instruction manual does not have a technical support number. If you loose your receipt you are out of luck. This whole thing sounds like a rotten deal and the TV is going back to the store today. Even the kind fellow I spoke to on the phone at the store said he would not buy this brand.



  20. brad scianna on September 1, 2007 at 2:56 pm

    If anyone can help, I purchased a trutech tv/dvd combo from arget and it only willl scan 19 of my subscribed 180 cable channels. I receive all 180 channels on all my other tv in the house but can seem to get the trutech model to receive the same can anyone offer some suggestions and any possible trouble shooting to resolve this dilemma? Target is unable/unwilling to assist. Please feel free to e-mail me at the following:bluensami@hotmail.com



  21. Luis on September 3, 2007 at 10:37 am

    We bought a Tru Tech 7 inch photo frame and after 3 months it just stopped working. Target won’t replace it and the Tru-Tech toll free number just drops out when we cal – 1-800-248-3960. What do I do?



  22. Chris on September 3, 2007 at 5:22 pm

    I’m trying to find out if anyone knows why I have sound when playing a DVD but NONE when trying to play a VHS tape.

    I have a toddler & we still break out the Disney videos; out last combo was great until my son fed it some Goldfish crackers & 3 refrigerator magnets.

    We got a TruTech to replace it (it’s now on a high shelf away from short people), but we can’t get any sound thru the VHS side!! Has anyone had this problem, and is it possible I need seperate audio cables for each side of the unit? Just wondered….



  23. Kelly on September 4, 2007 at 1:29 pm

    Just read all your comments. Unfortunately a day late. I purchased the Trutech 19″ LCDTV + DVD Model PVS2119,from Target. With %40 off of the $330.00 price, I just couldn’t resist. Hopefully I will have better luck. But I did want to post a phone number that may help. The guy at Target yesterday told me the Trutech was made by Daewoo and gave me the email and phone number. So here it is.
    http://www.e-daewoo.com 1-877-393-7823
    Hope this helps. Good Luck



  24. Kelly on September 4, 2007 at 1:29 pm

    Just read all your comments. Unfortunately a day late. I purchased the Trutech 19″ LCDTV + DVD Model PVS2119,from Target. With %40 off of the $330.00 price, I just couldn’t resist. Hopefully I will have better luck. But I did want to post a phone number that may help. The guy at Target yesterday told me the Trutech was made by Daewoo and gave me the email and phone number. So here it is.
    http://www.e-daewoo.com 1-877-393-7823
    Hope this helps. Good Luck



  25. joan knott on September 4, 2007 at 3:29 pm

    I bought a 23″ TV last year. It is model DW27FTT. It has started losing sound about 45 minutes after you turn it on. If you turn it off and turn it on again the sound is there for about another 45 minutes. It is very scary and I am afraid of fire. I will never buy another Trutech item from Target.



  26. Donna on September 5, 2007 at 9:42 am

    We bought a TV/DVD combo at the beginning of the year. We have DVD loading issues frequently. But the worst problem is the screen will jump with horizontal lines after a few minutes of having the unit on. I would love to take it back as we have the receipt, but we are outside of the 90 days. Let me know if you have had any return success outside of 90 days with Target.



  27. cherie on September 10, 2007 at 4:29 pm

    what a piece of junk my tv/dvd combo is. the dvd works intermittantly with various errors, none which make any sense. i will never buy another piece of electronics from target. what i thought was gong to be a good deal, turned out to be very expensive as i needed to buy my college age daughter a new tv.



  28. javen mackelley on September 10, 2007 at 9:05 pm

    i am sad to admit to being taken by the target tru tech also. i have a 17 inch tv/dvd combo. mine lasted at least 6/8 months before the dvd wouldn’t play anymore. i bought a seperate dvd player and hooked it up. that played for awhile and then after 2 months that wouldn’t work on the tv. i dare get another dvd or a tv set….like previous responders i had the tv to long to return and well i got it on sale so it wasn’t worth pursuing.



  29. Tony K. on September 11, 2007 at 12:40 pm

    I have a 20″ trutech tv/dvd combo. Can anyone tell me where and how I can obtain a remote for this unit? Or a compatible remote that will work?



  30. Wiyao on September 13, 2007 at 5:45 pm

    if the trutech company, i have a problem with my C.D. player. one day i was listening to my C.D. player & then then the headphones were not working, so i got mad & threw it on my bed, & suddenly it stopped working.



  31. v Johnson on September 14, 2007 at 6:07 pm

    Just had the same problem…recieved a DVD player as a gift and after 3 uses…nada….went to exchange…nope…no receipt…last time i ever shop Target……



  32. Nicole on September 15, 2007 at 10:56 am

    I am also experiencing difficulty with the Trutech codes. My cable company, Time Warner Cable, supplies a cable box and a remote control to its customers. In order to turn on/off the Trutech television and/or use the DVD feature, I must use the Trutech remote control. But, to change the channel on the television, I need to use Time Warner Cable’s remote control. In the past, I have always programmed Time Warner Cable’s remote control to my television so that I could use one remote for all functions, but not with Trutech. I cannot locate the manufacturer or the applicable code and am thereby forced to use two remote controls for one television. I cannot believe that a company as large and profitable as Target would elect a supplier that does not supply universal codes. I am extremely dissatisfied and will never purchase another electronic product from Target.



  33. Another customer on September 15, 2007 at 11:45 am

    Last spring I got a Trutech DVD Recorder, a display model without remote, for $34. It usually sold for $100, so it was a good buy. I am glad I did not pay any more than I did! Since I am a gearhead, I did manage to find a universal remote it would work with. But I would not recommend this unit to the average customer. Picture quality is okay on playback, but recording quality is mediocre.

    Your essay is a good warning about Trutech products.



  34. Lynnette on September 15, 2007 at 3:11 pm

    I have repeated problems with my 27″ lcd purchased 7 months ago. The sound went out completely to fix the problem you power off and then back on. Today I come to find that my TruTech purchased at Target no longer powers on, the light is on shows that it receives power, but no picture and no sound. Yes I got a very good deal with almost $500.00 of the original price but it still leaves me without. Due to all of the comments I have read today I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER TRUTECH, or any other electronic from Target….



  35. Sara on September 15, 2007 at 4:23 pm

    I totally agree. We bought the Trutech DVD player 3 times. I know it sounds crazy to have kept purchasing the player, but I thought my two year old son broke the first two. Poor kid that he was blamed for it. The third player we put high up so he couldn’t touch it at all. Now we know that Trutech is just cheap junk. The third player wouldn’t play DVDs after one month of use. I bought a DVD cleaner and that didn’t help either. DO NOT BUY THE TRUTECH BRAND. IT IS JUNK. Even though it is reasonably priced you get what you pay for. Target should not carry the brand. They are going to get a bad name for it.



  36. sylvia on September 16, 2007 at 1:43 am

    I puchased a trutech dw19tt 18 months ago. It worked all right up until now. The sound simply went out. I use my pc loudspeakers plugged to the headphone jack to watch TV now and that woks ok. Considering that I spent only 79 bucks on the 19″ TV set I’m not overly disappointed…



  37. Drew on September 16, 2007 at 11:38 pm

    Looks like TruTech TV/combos are crap, and I don’t know, since I’ve never had one (doesn’t look like I want one). But I’ve had a TruTech DVD player for over a year, and it’s been a charm. Dirt cheap, tiny, lightweight, and plays any possible thing I throw at it, including MP3 CD’s and improperly burned DVDs. Its remote died a month after I got it, and Target just exchanged the whole thing.
    Eventually I lost the remote, but have found that CyberHome codes work and give you basic functionality.
    So it’s not all that crappy.



  38. Amy on September 19, 2007 at 7:06 am

    Our portable DVD player quit playing DVDs after 90 days had expired. I will not buy electronics at Target again. Wish I hadn’t wasted $80.



  39. Joy on September 19, 2007 at 1:10 pm

    I have the TV/DVD also. So far I have had no problems, except the remote code dilemia. I do have a DVD Recorder from TruTech that I brought from Target and I am upset because it gets hot and then stops recording properly. What a bummer!!! Oh well, I guess that what I get for $89.00. Target needs to get better products!



  40. Joe on September 21, 2007 at 8:35 pm

    I have the TruTech DVD model TT320. The code for the Time Warner remote is 1023.. Try Cyberhome codes for any other model. Even though my TruTech is still working well after a year, because of all of the comments, I will never buy a TruTech again.



  41. DEANNA MURPHY on September 25, 2007 at 2:19 pm

    We bought a Trutech T2000-D 20″ at Target last Jan for superbowl. All of the channels did not come in clear so my boyfriend felt he did a bad job running cable in. He never got around to checking the cable and I got busy with my mother who is very sick so I did not watch TV. We did not use it till I moved and took the TV with me. Again I could not get clear channels. I voiced my opinion with Target and they said they have had issues but because it is past the time they cannot help me. I called the consumer line and they said too bad that it only has a 6 month warranty and they realize the TV had issues but they cannot stand behind it. I will continue my drive to recoup on what both Target and Starlite already know as a bad item.



  42. Sarah on September 26, 2007 at 8:55 pm

    My tru-tech 20″ tv/dvd combo has been working for a little over 12 months now, but probably not for long. I am starting to see the “wrong disk” message when i try to play cd’s (which has never happened before this). While playing dvds the disk freezing for about 20 seconds every once in awhile.
    The reason i actually came acrossed this post was in attempt to find a replacement remote. I have made it through a few months without a remote after losing it, but its became a little bit of a hassle to manually go through all the channels or not being able to see special features on dvds and whatnot. I bought a $15 universal remote about a month after losing the original, but neither myself or my roomate could get it to work. I laid it aside frustrated and finally came back to it today. After 2 hours of trying different codes and doing a manual search, I finally seemed to get the right code.
    Trying the remote out, I found out I could turn the tv off and on… go to channels 1, 3, 5, 7, and 8… with buttons completely unrelated to their specification I can mute, go to a previous scene, turn the volume up (but not down), and open the drive. The rest of the buttons do nothing.
    I guess instead of buying a new remote, I should be saving for a new televison. From what i read, my unit has already surpassed its expiration date.



  43. amy on September 26, 2007 at 9:01 pm

    Bought a TV/DVD combo last Christmas season b/c it was the ‘lowest price of the season’ and it worked fine. Tonight we were watching tv with our son and it just shut off and won’t get any power. I thought it was a great tv until that happened. I threw away the receipt, not like it would do any good 10 months later. I will never waste money on this brand again. I guess you get what you paid for. Lesson learned.



  44. Rod jorritsma on September 27, 2007 at 11:24 am

    I purchased a trutech dvd player about 120 days ago. I just bought the dvd “knocked up”, and when i put the disc in it displayed “wrong disc”. I have only watched about 3 dvds on the thing. Anyone know how to fix this problem, or should I just go dump it in targets parking lot?



  45. mike lovette on October 1, 2007 at 12:35 pm

    All of the above goes for Trutech MP3 players as well. Don’t buy ANY Trutech electronics from Target. Because of their retiscence to fix the problems, don’t buy ANY electronics from Target. There are other reputable stores.



  46. CHARLES G. OSTERFELD on October 7, 2007 at 10:39 pm

    I PURCHASED A TRUTTECH T2000-D 20″ COLOR TV WITH THE DVD PLAYER. tHE REMOTE BROKE WITH IN A WEEK. i WAS SHIPPED A NEW REPLACEMENT. AFTER ABOUT 5 DVD MOVIES THAT REFUSED TO LOAD ANY MORE DISKS. iT SAYS WRONG DISK. I CALLED STARLITE ELECTRONICS, THEY SAID DUE TO ALL THE PROBLEMS THE WARRANTIES HAVE BEEN EXTENDED TO 180 DAYS. tHEY SAID THEY HAVE THE SETS FIXED AND ARE NOW OK.
    I HAD TO SEND MAY BAD SET TO CA, IT COST 35.00 TO DO THAT. ABOUT 60 DAYS A NEW SET SHOWED UP. I SAID WELL THIS WAS A GOOD DEAL. ONLY 2 DVD MOVES AND THE DVD PLAYER SAYS WRONG DISK AGAIN AND WIKK NOT LOAD DVD ANYMORE. IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE SETS JUST JUNK IT. THEY ARE NO GOOD. TARGET IS NO LONGER ON MY LIST OF STORES TO BUY ANY THING, SORRY.



  47. June on October 8, 2007 at 2:20 pm

    What is the code of this tv so I may use it with cable???



  48. Bill Downs on October 9, 2007 at 10:05 am

    Ihave the 15″ trutech for the br. I only used it a couple hrs. a day, after 14 months it quit working. No pic no sound just a little churp every few seconds. “TRUCRAP” electronics for sure.
    Thanks



  49. John Liu on October 12, 2007 at 6:15 pm

    Thank you for this article. I purchased an Trutech armband radio for $13 (I was too cheap to pay $30 for the Sony), and because of your article (as well as everyone else’s comments), I will be returning this to Target ASAP.



  50. KSlat on October 13, 2007 at 4:03 pm

    You are not going to believe this. I am friends with 2 men that opened 5 HUGE tanning salons, and the trutech CD Player caught one of them on fire! Im not joking. I was a personal witness to it. Luckily, one of our technicians used the extinguisher in time, but each piece of equipment in the salon is about 15,000 each, and we have 12 of them. DO NOT USE THE CD PLAYER



  51. Ray on October 15, 2007 at 9:36 pm

    I have a Trutech TV/DVD under the cabinet model. I gave up on the remote about a day after I purchased it & now just use the cable box remote and turn the unit on/off by hand. The tv is only about 8 months old and the picture is almost completely black and white. There is no way to even attempt to fix the color…pressing menu setup just lets you choose between “cable” and “air”…what a piece of junk.



  52. Mike on June 10, 2009 at 6:50 am

    You can find manuals, for TruTech products at http://www.1800customersupport.com



  53. Jim on June 11, 2009 at 7:27 pm

    I purchased a Memorex dvd player/recorder from Target last year. It lasted two days more than the Target “”warranty” and then expired (dvd drawer would not stay in. Neither Target or Memorex (Weston, Florida) were any help at all! I lost $130 pm on this little fiasco (donated it to Goodwill).

    Foolishly, I next purchased a Target brand (Trutech) dvd player/recorder – sucked in by the relatively low price ($99). This time I bought the extended warranty – $15 additional.

    This unit now causes the dvds to freeze up at various points in the programs. In an effort to remedy this problem I purchased a dvd cleaning kit from Target ($10 additional) hoping it was just my discs. No luck – the problem continued. I contacted the extended warranty company and in all fairness they sent me a credit voucher which must be used at Target for $99 with no questions asked. I have a hunch they too are familiar with the shoddy Target electronics that they have agreed to guarantee much to their regret…..

    I have now purchased two pieces of Target dvd electronic junk and have nothing to show for it. I called a local Target here in Laverne, California and the person I spoke with suggested a Panasonic dvd recorder/player they had personal experience with as being reliable. It sells for $177 plus tax at Target.

    I am so angry I really don’t want to purchase anything from Target ever again! However, because of the $99 Target credit voucher I will probably buy the Panasonic from them as my experience to date has been good with this brand.

    Target basically sells overpriced Asian junk! They used to be an honest, reliable company but have now gone the way of all today’s retailing greed merchants. I would NOT purchase any Chinese/Asian made junk anywhere without getting an extended warranty too! Sad commentary on America’s lost retailing/electronics capability.

    Thanks for the opportunity to rant…

    Regards, \

    Jim (Jpepoon@aol.com)



  54. myrna on June 23, 2009 at 1:47 pm

    Did you ever find a code that worked? My trutech is a T2000-D and I think that I will end up sending it to the Goodwill (although it might create some ill will instead), the color keeps getting darker and it is only good for dvd’s now. I have had mine 18 months before the remote went and I have tried all of the remotes Target sells – returning them if they didn’t work.
    Today I talked to a target employee and he hung his head and suggested I call trutech to get a code. The Starlite Consumer Electronics (USA) inc number 800-321-5976 now sends text messages to your cell phone inviting you to join a “fun” club.
    I am now looking for a new tv that I can afford.



  55. Leland Blanchard on June 30, 2009 at 6:32 am

    Please do not donate your cheap asian junk to Goodwill or any other company that caters to low income people. Some unsuspecting person will pay money that they can ill afford only to learn that they too have purchased cheap asian junk. It is much beter to put it in a flat rate US Postal box and mail it to the manager of your local Target Store as a gift.
    Leland Blanchard



  56. Deborah on July 7, 2009 at 3:31 pm

    I bought a Tru-Tech under cabinet CD/radio in May 2008. Recently I tried a CD and noticed the tray wouldn’t open. I took it back to Target on July 7, 2008 (less than 2 months)and was told that I couldn’t return it because I didn’t save the box. I had the receipt, manual and remote. No can do. They needed the box to get the codes. I could have exchanged it for a new one but “unfortunately” they didn’t have any. The Target manager showed me the back of the receipt to show their policy. Of course this policy doesn’t mention broken items. I will continue to call them everyday to check if they have any. Of course I don’t want another True Tech but I’ll play their game for a while. I’ve never had a problem returning at Target’s before. I will be sending it to the manager at Target as suggested if I don’t get any better results.



  57. MJRephlo on July 12, 2009 at 3:10 pm

    Our TruTech Portable DVD Player (model # PVS12701) has worked great for several years and still does, but the Li-ION battery won’t hold a charge and needs to be replaced. Can’t seem to find one anywhere.

    Btw, prior to this player, we went through 2 Polaroid brand portable DVD players, which were more expensive and barley lasted a year. The cheap TruTech has outlasted both of them put together… now if I could just find a battery…



  58. Diego on July 21, 2009 at 1:17 pm

    My Trutech T2000-D 20″ works just fine. I have had it for probably over two years.



  59. Anthony on July 24, 2009 at 10:22 am

    My HDTV is finally back but I gotta be careful with it cuz the last time when I woke up, the Tv wasn’t working at all.



  60. Ms. Simpson on August 2, 2009 at 1:56 pm

    Same here, I bought a VCR/DVD combo and I have been looking for a remote for over two years. My remote stopped working about a year ago and I have tried every Universal remote that I find and I can’t find anything that works.



  61. Dawn on August 11, 2009 at 10:42 am

    I have 2 trutech tv’s for my children’s room and I have absolutely no problems with the remote. We’ve owned the tv’s for almost 2 years and I’ve had no problems outside of my son getting mad and hitting the tv with a ping pong paddle and breaking his sister’s tv…



  62. Roxane on August 17, 2009 at 10:03 am

    JUNK, JUNK, JUNK! I was sucked by the low price on the Dual Screen Trutech. RIght out of the box the second screen did not work!! Of course it tooks us 5 months to use if for the first time and Target refuses to return. This will be the absolute last time I ever buy anything Trutech in life.



  63. Eva on August 28, 2009 at 1:24 pm

    I bought a trutech 19″ tv on 04-28-09 at Target. Last week it started making a crackling noise one day and was completely fried the next day…do the math! It’s just over the 3 month return policy for the store. Called customer service at Target and was told to look it up on the internet and deal with the manufacturer…Fat Chance!
    What a piece of garbage!!! What crappy customer service! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!



  64. Paklo on September 22, 2009 at 1:39 pm

    I bought a tru-tech MP3 player a while ago. It’s the sturdiest piece of electronic equipment I’ve ever owned. It’s been down the stairs, submerged in water, dropped several times, and even dropped out the window of my car at 50 mph. Thing still works like new. Recently a heavy mug hit it square on. Cracked the plastic screen shield but other than that no serious damage. Display still works, and so does everything else. I don’t know about their other products but, the mp3 I bought is a persistent little thing.



  65. Joe on October 2, 2009 at 2:56 pm

    Hey I live with my girlfriend and we have the trutech tv/dvd player that her cheap but very wealthy father bought us and its a POS! every time i switch the AV/TV/YUV output to each other the TV output makes an annoying crackling sound that can sometimes last for hours its a piece of crap and another reason why id rather spend an extra one or two hundred on a more reliable brand than target or any other cheap generic brands but until i get paid again which isnt for another week or so can someone tell me how to fix the audio until then?



  66. Bobby on October 2, 2009 at 9:03 pm

    Hello eveybody out there in tv land. Well, unless you own a truetech that is, because more than likely if the tv is more than a month old, it no longer works. I too was looking for a remote. Man this crap sucks. PEACE



  67. jeff on October 5, 2009 at 6:15 pm

    i have a trutech dvd/tv combo. the dvd part has always been somewhat unreliable, but it was what i expected for such a cheap price. the problem, however, is that comcast (my cable provider) has just informed all it’s customers that we would have to install their cable box or lose channels that are going to all-digital. after lots of time spent looking for the remote code, nothing … so i have to have my daughter use two separate remotes. she’s 4.

    you get what you pay for, but it’s a more than a little annoying that i can’t program a universal remote to this f*^%ing tv.



  68. Ross on October 12, 2009 at 11:01 am

    I also own a Trutech TV/DV player and YES it is JUNK
    Mine worked for a year, and now it is garbage, what a waste of money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I would have thought Target would sell a better quality TV



  69. steven on October 18, 2009 at 2:38 pm

    i bought a trutech about a year and a half ago. My remote seems to be sturdy. its light. but i cant break it. but the other day i feel asleep with the tv on. woke up and no video. i will never own another trutech



  70. diana on October 18, 2009 at 7:52 pm

    I was looking for tech support for this same TV. There isn’t any is there?



  71. Carol on October 25, 2009 at 3:06 pm

    I had received a TruTech DVD player as gift. Lost the remote (imagine that) and am disgusted that they don’t demand/support codes for universal remotes. The only good thing is I can press play and watch the movie. I’ll have to miss out on extras and rewinding till I can some up some more cash.

    Thanks for the great site.



  72. Marie on October 29, 2009 at 6:37 pm

    My mother bought me a Trutech TV about 2 yrs ago for Christmas & to complete me for my new apartment….I’ve never had a problem with it. It’s also a TV/DVD combo and I love it…the remote is light but I don’t think cheap…Ive dropped it plenty of times and not even the battery cover has broken…unlike the sony tv I had which had the remote battery cover taped on so it would stop falling off…BOTTOM LINE with any electronic device (phone, TV, computer) it’s always best to get a warrenty and even with the first slight sign that it’s acting up just take it back in. Nothing’s perfect even a newly bought XBOX 360 could become dead within a month of purchase, you never know whats happening with a product as it’s arriving to the store…

    sorry so long…a lot of these negative comments really got to me



  73. Alex on November 14, 2009 at 6:02 pm

    try the daewoo codes for your trutech tv universal remote programing needs!! they work!!

    i was getting a little discourage after reading this about not being able to find the code i needed to program our cable remote to our tv seeing how we don’t have the remote for the tv.. but i did a little more searching and i found the answer on yahoo answers… here’s the link. i’m not very techno savvy so your going to have to copy and paste…

    http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090209152739AARg8Xz

    it said to use the daewoo codes and it worked!! no more having to get my butt of the couch to turn the volume up or down!!



  74. Kay on November 29, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    I have this LCD/DVD combo also. It makes a craclking sound and then all of a sudden the volume blairs as loud as it can. When listening to DVD you have to turn volume all the way up or you can’t hear at all. Now all of a sudden I can’t get my local stations as I am not hooked up to cable. I tried for hours yesterday to re-scan and it still won’t pick up the local channels so now I can’t watch at all, it won’t let you add a channel at all so any ideas on how to fix.



  75. Danielle on December 2, 2009 at 3:32 pm

    All I can say is that I HAD this crappy TV. My boyfriend bought it for me for my birthday in February of 2007. I was thrilled, it had a DVD player and it was a flat screen (my first one). The DVD player stopped working roughly 9 months later. The TV picture started going out about 4-5 months after that, and audio + picture were totally shot by Christmas 2008. So the thing didn’t even last 2 years! And the DVD player was a joke even when it did work! This was cheapest waste of money peice of electronic equipment I have ever owned.

    I bought a 42″ Magnavox soon after and bought an extended warranty 🙂 The moral of the story for me is that when it comes to electronics….you get what you pay for.

    just my 2 cents…..NEVER BUY THE TRUTECH BRAND!!!!!



  76. Jodie Martin on December 14, 2009 at 8:24 pm

    Bought this for my kitchen. It would be two years this Christmas. Remote works only sporadically at best. Now it only turns on after repeated unplugging and plugging back in, if you are lucky. Takes a long time for the picture to come on. I feel like I am watching my grandfather’s old B&W set from the 70s. It probably still works. I wanted a bargain, not junk!!



  77. John on December 19, 2009 at 8:31 am

    I found this website as I was trying to find information to help my mother who has a small TruTech flatscreen TV in her kitchen. She told me that all she want’s for Christmas is to get her favorite local channel on this awful and obscure brand name television. I’ve tried telling my mother for years that it isn’t a good idea to by an electronic appliance with a brand name you have never, ever heard of until you find out more about the product. It is best to stick with a brand name that everyone has heard of like Sony, Magnavox, Philips, or Panasonic. That way, if something goes wrong, you don’t end up having to throw away the electronic appliance that doesn’t work properly. My mother doesn’t want to listen to me as she bought not one, but two TruTech TV/DVD players for my sister, both of which DON’T WORK! Today, I’m thinking about going to Wal-Mart this morning and buying a well known brand name flatscreen TV for her kitchen for her Christmas gift, but she has to promise me that she will never, ever buy another TruTech appliance or any other appliance with an unknown brand name ever again!



  78. tuxracer on December 24, 2009 at 2:13 pm

    Try the Daewoo codes. 10451 worked for me on a Trutech TV. If that doesn’t work try the other Daewoo codes in your manual.



  79. Mark on January 2, 2010 at 9:53 pm

    Try one of these remote codes for Trutech 1029 worked for me on my older Trutech TV 1029, 1145, 1121



  80. Laura on January 3, 2010 at 3:25 pm

    I bought a TRUTECH 10″ LCD/DVD combo (installs under kitchen cabinet) about 18 months ago..never had a problem with it, other than you cannot change channel, or volume without remote…no problem, remote always worked fine. Came home about 3 weeks ago pushed the power button and the whole unit turned off..no power whatsoever. cannot find my warranty info, I know its here somewhere, but I asked at Target if they had any similar inquiries only to find out they no longer carry TRUTECH.! I am so glad that I only paid $90 (clearance) for this $250 piece of CRAP!



  81. Jonathan on January 4, 2010 at 9:08 am

    I have a TruTech TV. I have had it for about three years now and I have never had a problem with it. I don’t understand what in the world you’re talking about when you say that no universal remotes work for it. I just bought one the other day and I had no problem programming it to my TruTech TV =P.



  82. Al on January 5, 2010 at 11:12 am

    This bashing of “Asian junk” is just another example of frivolous jealousy of the Asian economic miracle — first in Japan, the four tigers and now China. Without these goods from Asia, you guys wouldn’t even have been able to afford buying anything for your kids.

    I can say much worse things about American electronic gears such as RCA’s 8335 VHS-DVD recorder/player, which lasts less than three months, and after two exchanges.

    Jim and Steve Borsch: grow up! Basically you two strike me as immature adults who never realize how silly you sound.

    Remotes cost one dollar each in the dollar stores such as 99c. Get one!

    The fact that you get your 99 dollars back from your TV means the Target Store had confidence in the majority of TruTech products that they are willing to fully back their warranties.

    I have had my two TruTechs for five years now, and not one glitch has occurred since I first bought them.

    In contrast, I have had to return a Panasonic projection TV and a Sony VCR within the first nine months, and yet this has not destroyed my faith in these two companies.

    So gimme a break, and name one American electronic product that’s reliable these days.

    You will find none!



  83. Steve Borsch on January 5, 2010 at 12:17 pm

    Al (or “tiger9inch”): I didn’t say anything about “Asian junk” or the “Asian economic miracle”, nor did I disingenuously suggest so. I’ve worked for three Japanese companies in past jobs, represented Taiwanese produced goods at two more, and have nothing but respect for AsiaPac countries and organizations.

    None of that is the point of the post OR the bulk of the comments.

    Re-read the post, now 2.5 years old, and you’ll discover that Target’s TruTech house brand (a brand, I might add, they no longer sell) was manufactured by several Asian contract companies and was a low-end price point product line. Yes, compared to Panasonic, Sony or others it was cheap crap, but had Target simply demanded that the DOZENS of universal remotes they stocked would function with the electronics they retailed, this post would never have been written. As it stands now if you search Google for “TruTech” it’s the #2 hit on Google and I’ve had dozens of emails in addition to the comments on this post.

    “Jim and Steve Borsch: grow up! Basically you two strike me as immature adults who never realize how silly you sound.”
    I thought Jim’s comment was indicative of how most consumers view inexpensive consumer electronics from off-brands. At least companies such as Best Buy, who sources from multiple vendors for its Insignia house brand, ensures the quality is high, support for things like remote control codes are available, and fully stand behind the product. Target not taking back their house brand without receipts as many here have discovered, is beyond bizarre since Target is THE ONLY ONE RETAILING TRUTECH. If any of that is immature as a viewpoint, I’ll happily wear that label.

    BTW, the only “tiger9inch” found within Google searches indicates it’s likely you’re Asian or Asian-American. Perhaps you work for an Asian consumer electronics vendor? I suspect so since this post, and Jim’s “Asian junk” comment, seems to have really hit your hot button.



  84. Monteman on January 7, 2010 at 2:29 pm

    I just looked up Target’s website and they still list a blue color Trutech brand DVD player.
    After reading this post there is no way I’ll ever buy the brand.My thanks to the author.
    As for “tiger 9inch”…well let’s just say I’ve hear the opposite from women about Asian men.



  85. chris christopher on January 10, 2010 at 12:50 am

    Finally got my charter communications remote to work with Trutech dvd/vcr with the code 21278.



  86. Darin on January 30, 2010 at 1:57 pm

    We aquired a TruTech TV from a friend. We gave them out Samsung 27 inch television when their main set went out and they gave us the TruTech for our bedroom. The remote for the TruTech is horrible. If we are watching a DVD and try to use the tv remote to turn up the volume, the dvd starts to skip chapters. I was hoping my GE Universal Remote would solve the problem…after two hours of trying to find codes I stumbled across this page and learned that I have been wasting my time. NEVER buy a TruTech.



  87. Marty on February 10, 2010 at 1:34 pm

    Man, am I glad I came upon this page! Ebay has a tru-tech DVD/VCR recorder for a very good price. Now I know why. This is the information I was looking for. Is it good quality? Apparently not.



  88. dave on March 8, 2010 at 11:24 am

    powersuppy compoent is under powered for the unit and will fail. that is wear the major problems exist with the units noise and the short life of the unit. this is common with all products even computors. you get what you pay for all companies are out to make a profit this is the most common place to save on cost.
    don’t expect for a $200.00 unit to last forever. the remote if not handled with care will break no electronic device is built like a tonka truck of old . so quit your sniffling you got what you paid for and if your dauther had not abused the remote it would still work.
    ps if you and your wife have such hi paying jobs why do you buy the cheaps products for your dauther an then bitch about it.



  89. Darryl on March 24, 2010 at 2:10 pm

    I own a trutech 19″ flat panel TV and the universal code that worked for me was 10030 , but the other recommended code is 10178. good luck to ya’ll.



  90. Billie on March 26, 2010 at 1:56 pm

    I have a 13″ Trutech tv/dvd combo and my remote broke. Tried universal types, but what a headache. Just want to get a new remote.



  91. beadonor on April 5, 2010 at 4:23 pm

    I too own a Trutech tv/dvd LCD product. I have been very happy with it for the last 1.5 years (a long time given the other posts), however now everytime I put in a DVD, it tells me it’s not a valid disc. I have no idea what to do, I can’t find help anywhere. I wish I had seen this site before I bought it, it would have made me think twice. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks



  92. Steve Marth on April 11, 2010 at 8:23 pm

    Funny. I had remote problems a year ago, and the process of ordering a new one online was a Kafka-esque nightmare. Then it took nearly 2 months to get to me. And now, I’m experiencing the same ‘cracking audio’ problem his daughter did. I just want to throw it out the window, but I’m not exactly made of money, so I’m stuck.



  93. marjorie on May 3, 2010 at 5:56 pm

    Why add to what others have already said! We’ve been had not only with the miserable quality of the equipment, but with the lack of support from Target. Think I’ll print up all the comments and send the list to the head office of Target.



  94. Evan on May 21, 2010 at 9:03 pm

    I got one of these tv’s. The dvd player broke after the first week. The tv is only ok… I do not hate it but it broke today…. 4 years of having it… the dvd player suckerd.. the quality kind of sucked…. and basicallly… if you want a cheap tv this is reccommended. If yo have the money though, I recommend something better.



  95. Jim Eads on May 29, 2010 at 9:34 am

    As a TV repairman for 38 years, it has become more and more apparent that manufacturers have become very complacent in the “support” areas of their businesses. There was a time when a phone call could get a part (remote also) but that time is long past.

    There are several brands that I will not take in for repairs and TruTech is at the top of the list. Just do your research and ask about support AFTER the sale. Research it on the web. Then s[end your money wisely.

    Check with a local repair shop who is NOT a dealer. They will usually give you a few good manufacturers who still have a bit of credibility



  96. LTS on July 1, 2010 at 7:29 pm

    I got a trutech TV years ago and have had absolutely no problems.
    Plus, It was only $70.
    At that low of a price- I can’t complain about anything.



  97. Patricia on July 10, 2010 at 5:35 pm

    Bought a TruTech tape/cd player from Target. The tape player still works, the cd player worked once and never again. Went back to Target and didn’t get any satisfaction. Their return policy is the worst in the business. The only things I buy at Target now are things that are supposed to be used up — cosmetics, toilet paper, tissues, food. I will never, ever, buy clothing, electronic items, cameras, gifts, or anything else I expect to last past day one. And my daughter was a Starbucks manager in a Target store. And SHE won’t buy anything designed to have ordinary use from Target.



  98. Jeremy on October 2, 2010 at 11:11 pm

    My parents got me a Trytech DVD Home Thaeter system for my 11th birthday 3 years ago. The first problem was that the surround speaker wires were not nearly long enough for my 10’x10′ bedroom. It didn’t have the best sound quality either. It wasn’t bad though. About a month after getting it, I noticed that it was a lot warmer to the touch than it was before when in standby. I later noticed that when you put your ear up to any speaker, you could hear kind of a very quiet sound like static on a radio station. It still played fine though. I started to notice quiet thumping sounds coming from the speakers when in standby mode. This only happened occasionally though. It would do it for a while and thenstop for a while. Possibly because the system was so warm. I don’t know for sure. I eventually hooked it up to a switch to keep it from overheating. Probably about a year after I got it, I noticed that the picture was extremely bright in the AV Input mode. I eventually replaced it with a Yamaha RX-V365. I still have the TruTech system. It still works okay except for the standby issue. After looking at this website, I will never buy anything else from TruTech.



  99. Steve Borsch on November 15, 2010 at 10:31 am

    Robert — Probably not likely you’ll get a lot of response on this blog and its commenters so I will.

    Since it’s been nearly a year, I’ll bet Target won’t even listen anymore. Maybe the moment it stopped working (you said when it was 4 months old in about April) instead of 7 months later would’ve been the time to raise hell. Squeaky wheel gets the grease and I’ve found talking with a supervisor in the store, calling again-n-again to the customer service line (and getting a supervisor) is often the way to get them to take action. At this point, I fear it is so far past their 30 day window that they won’t even listen.

    Sorry I didn’t have any better suggestion.



  100. Giselle on December 12, 2010 at 6:07 am

    I purchased a TruTech Color tube tv about 3 years ago and never had problems with it. It works beautifully. I am throwing it out now only because I bought a flat screen tv to save space.



  101. Steve Borsch on January 5, 2011 at 3:10 pm

    TruTech was what is called a “house brand” of Target Stores. That means that Target’s buyers went to Asia and “sourced” electronic products and placed the TruTech name on them. But here’s the thing: TARGET NO LONGER SELLS TRUTECH BRANDED PRODUCTS!

    This means that if you bought one—or have one sitting around unused in a box—Target won’t take it back. If it’s broken, they won’t service it nor is there any place (that I know of) where you can get it serviced.

    This is why I originally wrote this post: Target should be ashamed of themselves for selling such a crappy product line; an electronics line where it was impossible to obtain service; and then never saying one word to anyone about it online.

    This is why I do not buy *anything* from Target unless it’s a brand name I recognize…even their housewares and other stuff.

    Guess you’re out of luck.



  102. Jim on January 5, 2011 at 5:26 pm

    I have a Trutech lcd flat screen tv( and not a very good picture I might add) and the remote does not work and yes it is a crappy cheap plastic thing…there is no numbers on the remote and so I was told that maybe it was not for that tv that I purchased (I have had the tv hooked up to a extention and never needed a remote until now when we put it in a bedroom for our guest) I spoke to Target and that is what they told me…the remote has no numbers, no name on it nothing,!! So after reading this I guess the only option is to take a hammer to the thing and at least get a little satisfaction? Any suggestions? Thanks



  103. alex on April 9, 2011 at 8:22 pm

    I have a Trutech TV/DVD player combo and don’t have any trouble with the remote, although most of my surfing is done with my cable remote. My problem arose when the DVD player suddenly started telling me that every DVD I tried to play was INVALID, even though I could play them fine on another player in another room. This was definitely not a good deal. Live and learn. Don’t buy TruTech.



  104. Angela on May 3, 2011 at 10:12 am

    To whom it may concern,
    I had purchase a dual trutech (dvd connected to tv.) i moved to another area of New York and when the man from
    cablevision came to hook up my TV he could not get the code to work from there cable box, the code was not working at all, because the code I had in their already from my other remote that I had on Long island could not be changed and I would have to call Trutech on the phone and have them change the code.TOTALLY RIDICULOUS. I WILL NEVER BUY TRUTECH AGAIN.
    sorry for the caps, this is the way I feel about trutech.



  105. Steve Borsch on May 6, 2011 at 3:13 pm

    Though you might be reacting to the commenters, I think you missed the point of my post.



  106. norma stites on May 27, 2011 at 10:43 am

    I have a wall mounted true tech, has been up for 3 years and Iv’e had no problems. just lucky I guess.



  107. Mike on July 24, 2011 at 10:26 pm

    My Trutech 19″ has been working since 2005. hahaha But the Funai people are nightmarish to deal with. At least they were when I repaired the occasional TV.



  108. Chris M on September 6, 2011 at 9:12 am

    We purchased two 7 inch DVD player/TV for big/small car trips at least 4 years ago – both still work perfectly. If their taken care of there may not be issues unless its just plain out defective from manufacturing or shipping. All brands have defaults no matter how reputable or inexpensive, I’ve bought a top of the line TV and the screen went out within 6 months. My brother had screen issues with two TV’s in a row with his expensive, name brand TV. Good thing we had insurance!



  109. tadpole on September 11, 2011 at 6:43 pm

    anybody know how to get the dvd player working on my trutech tv it say wrong disc all the time never been able to get it to work. 2006 model



  110. Steve Borsch on September 11, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    Sorry tadpole…no idea.



  111. Dan on October 20, 2011 at 11:00 am

    This is for tadpole and his/her ‘wrong disc’ issue with a Truteh tv. I had the same problem with a Coby dvd player. Go into the menu for the dvd player and make sure it’s set for ‘Region 1’ (North America). Any dvd you buy in the US will only play on players set for Region 1. There are other regions for other parts of the world, but we are in Region 1. And some players will let you set the region only once or twice, so don’t play around with the setting.
    The only reason I’m on this website is that my parents are giving me their old Trutech tv/dvd combo today and Mom isn’t sure she has the correct remote for it. So it looks like I may have a potential problem, what with the comments from Steve Borsch.
    To Steve: thanks for all the info you’ve provided about Trutech. I wouldn’t buy electronics from Target anyway, but my parents did long ago, and they recently bought a new tv for their guest room, so I get the old one to replace my old CRT and component dvd player.



  112. Richard on November 22, 2011 at 4:46 pm

    Bought a standard true tech TV 4 yrs ago at Target worked fine till about a month ago now it won’t even turn on
    never had such a junky TV sorry to say have had other TVs for over 15 yrs and no problem at all.



  113. megyn on December 5, 2011 at 6:06 pm

    I purchased 2 19″ tv/dvd combo, 1 for my husband and I and one for our son about 5 or 6 years ago for Christmas. We have not had any issues with the tv’s, however both of our remotes recently stopped working. My son’s I think is from the abuse of a teenager throwing it around, ours just stopped working. We have a universal remote but I can’t get it to work, so now I am on a hunt for a new remote, because it is very annoying to go old school and physically change the channel or set the timer.



  114. George on December 11, 2011 at 1:43 pm

    I have lost the remote for my granddaughters 19″ TruTech TV/DVD. Is there a code for the universal remote??



  115. ALPHA537 on January 5, 2012 at 9:14 am

    I bought my TruTech ZV450TT8 DVD & VCR combo recorder for $10.00 to use only as a player for my extensive VHS collection-which I’m converting to DVDs- something to do since retiring. I am an pld geek type and it took me forever (as in too long) to find that Funai universal remote codes turns the unit on/off and works the dvd player. I’M SO GLAD I DIDN’T BUY NEW-THANKS FOR THE POSTS!



  116. Dana Timmons on January 10, 2012 at 8:48 am

    I bought a trutech dvd for the car. Two screens. I’ve only owned it for 8 months and probably only had my kids use it for 14 or 15 times in that 8 months. Now it doesn’t work at all. It will not read the dvd’s, but will however play MP3 music…who gets this. I’m trying to find somewhere that I can contact to let trutech know what a horrible product this was and to let them know it no longer works after 8 months. I would like in return for trutech to send me a replacement unit. Do you think this may be possible.
    Signed a mother of two kids riding in the back seat of a car long distances with no dvd players.



  117. AynM on February 3, 2012 at 8:29 am

    Can you remove the comment from: Steven P.q says: May 6, 2011 at 2:54 pm please?
    It is deliberately inflammatory just to get people to click on it and it is really a link to webpage called StopCrying.com – they are using this comment thread to advertise their site.
    Thanks, Ayn



  118. Melinda on February 6, 2012 at 8:14 am

    Are you aware of a site/link to download the manual for a Trutech PLV3119S1 LCD DVD PC Monitor? I am not able to use the Trutech as a monitor when connected to my laptop. Screen says no signal. Yes i used the function button to choose PC in.



  119. Steve Borsch on February 6, 2012 at 10:43 am

    Sorry…don’t think it’s even available online (did a quick search and found nothing). I’d call Target’s help line and hammer on them.



  120. Steve Borsch on March 20, 2012 at 7:29 pm

    You know this is a blog and not a support forum, right? Also, this post is really old. Sorry, can’t help you.



  121. Erica on April 9, 2012 at 9:24 pm

    Looking on replacement parts for Tru Tech. I have the DVD players for the car and the cords broke. I can’t seem to find where to buy these parts.

    Thanks!



  122. Betty Fall on April 26, 2012 at 1:18 pm

    I’v spent 2 days attempting to locate an owners manual for a Truetech T2000D. Truetech says they
    did not manufacture this model and did not know who did. Target could not give me anyone to
    contact, and seemed rather put out that I had called them. None of the websites who advertise
    that they have ALL manuals had none. Any suggestions ?? I noticed in the blog folks are looking for
    replacement remotes for the T2000D. Ebay has a pretty good supply.

    What a way to run a business. Truetech probably made lots of loot contracting to make and supply Target.
    Target probably used the cheap products as a loss leader during sales and by way of that made
    money. Here we are, lots of unsatisfied buyers who cannot get our problem with the product concluded.
    Beam me up Scotty !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



  123. janie on April 29, 2012 at 7:55 pm

    Code for trutech tv for direct tv is emerson 10178



  124. Josh on August 3, 2012 at 4:07 pm

    Have an old 19 or 21″ inch tv/dvd combo from trutech, the remote has started working on and off….sometimes it functions, sometimes nothing at all. Batteries switched in and out, new fresh batteries makes no difference. It can work for 1 minute then stop for the next X hours then work again randomly. Pain in the #*#, sometimes its not working for days even. Have tried universal remotes and nothing seems to work right…or if it does, only powering on and off works or the Volume +- only toggle mute on/off, etc. Not a huge deal but a bit of a pain in the butt, especially since its in a 7 year old’s room that is scared of the dark so we like to let him fall asleep watching Disney(he’s also still learning English) and have the timer set to turn the TV off. Can’t do that now, $20-30 for a new remote when I could probably find an entire TV on ebay or at goodwill or something for just slightly more anyway just doesn’t seem worth it.
    If anyone knows a code to get this old CRT style TV/DVD combo to work with comcast/xfinity cable box remotes please let me know! Or if theres any cheaper universal remote you got it to work with.



  125. mickjen on August 23, 2012 at 9:49 am

    What Josh said! Sometimes the remote works, sometimes not. The built in DVD player crapped out after 2 years of limited DVD watching. Totally frustrating that the remote will work to turn on the the TV, then suddenly, can’t mute the commercials.

    The remote didn’t have issues until this spring (I purchased it in summer of 2008), and I wonder if it is an radio interference issue?

    I’m glad I spent less than $200 on it, but in no way has it ever had *true* HD resolution and I think if I hadn’t been seduced by the price, I would have noticed it doesn’t even have an HDMI output….



  126. Harriet on October 30, 2012 at 10:49 pm

    Have to chuckle finding this site while hunting for the remote codes on a 7″ Digital Labs LCD TV model DT191SA. BTW: I paid a bargain $13.15 incl. tax from a Kohl’s store on clearance. This was in Sept. of 2010 and it still works great including the original remote. All I wanted was the code so one of my satellite remotes could operate the TV. None of the guru sat. / remote / TV expert sites know of any codes, let alone of this Ping Pong connection of a company.

    The instructions has an address listed Starlite Consumer Electronics (USA) Inc. 280 Machlin Ct. City of Industry, CA 91789 Phone 1-866-387-2027 but no luck. If someone finds out the remote codes for this brand, please post them.

    Also, is the following the same connection or renamed company?
    Starlite International
    Fremont, California
    USA

    TEL
    510-790-2800

    FAX
    510-790-3400

    EMAIL

    info@starliteintl.com
    strint@aol.com



  127. harriet on October 30, 2012 at 11:11 pm

    Sorry to fester this thread but I found the following if it helps anyone later on.
    Go to http://www.griffininternational.com
    They’re based in Minn., and Starlite Consumer Electronics (USA) Inc., works out of that office. 1-612-344-4700 phone number

    Trutech remote codes
    529
    559
    584
    good luck



  128. Jema Mc Load on January 18, 2013 at 11:33 am

    I have been able to record with TruTech MP3 player and used it to record my English instructors lecture.



  129. Steve Borsch on March 12, 2013 at 1:59 pm

    Gee…I don’t think any 3rd party remotes work with Trutech products…at least I never found one!



  130. Steve Borsch on September 7, 2013 at 9:11 am

    Sorry…no idea what might be wrong.



  131. Dave Meinert on November 12, 2013 at 10:20 am

    Trutech remote control numbers from Comcast.
    11723 and 12006 are the two TruTech codes, for use with the Comcast remote
    One of those 2 codes actually worked to let the Comcast Remote operate the TruTech TV.

    Years ago, I bought this same TruTech TV for my mother-in-law.

    Comcast switched from direct cable to a converter box.
    Their remote was designed to control the basic function of the TV. (on / off, volume), The set was supposed to remain on “channel 3” for the converter box to work.

    They provided a manual, which had these two “codes” listed for Trutech.
    One of them worked. TruTech 11723, 12066

    Then my mother-in-law had to move to assisted living. Back to the complicated remote of TruTech.
    I tried to use a large button remote, designed for the elderly.
    However it would NOT lock on to the TruTech TV.
    t works with our Panasonic TV, or another Toshiba. Or a Broksonic.
    But it won’t lock onto the TruTech. Now I am considering buying her a new TV, but bringing along the large button remote, to test the TV prior to purchase.

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GR1YZ0?ie=UTF8&tag=theeldercar09-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002GR1YZ0



  132. Evelyn Graham on March 14, 2015 at 2:52 pm

    Several years ago I purchased a TruTech tv/dvd combo from Target. Inexpensive but fine for a spare bedroom that was seldom used. When I got satellite service I opted not to get it hooked up to that TV. Now 2 years later I have dropped satellite and will just use an antenna to get local channels. This tv has been unused for 2 years and no longer gets sound. So, as stated before, do not waste your money on a TruTech. They are plain old junk.



  133. Greg on March 20, 2015 at 12:03 pm

    For the Tv/Dvd combo try 363 for a working code for the TWC remote. You have to program both the TV and DVD buttons for it to work.



  134. rkstark1 on April 22, 2015 at 5:24 pm

    Rhonda.
    I just a 2007 model tv/dvd combo from a thrift store and it works and has sound, pic too.
    Although it did not come with a remote and mine are all in storage right now. I will not buy another remote, I have a shoe box full now. I don’t know if the dvd player works and that doesn’t matter to me. I have a external blu-ray and prefer to use it. My point is that for $40.00 I am happy with my purchase and it is better that what I have had before it.



  135. Bill Humphrey on July 30, 2015 at 8:23 am

    I have a TruTech combo TV/DVD player, 17 inch, Model PVS31170S1 and the DVD player stopped working. I disassembled the TV and removed the DVD player, expecting to find the name of the manufacturer of the part so I could replace it. Would you believe not a single name, model number or any identifying information on the DVD player!

    And of course, as previously noted, no help at all from Target!



  136. Wendy M on August 22, 2015 at 9:45 am

    I have a TruTech combo 2007 model PVS31170s1 and have had no problems until last night. The picture went off and it emitted a loud screeching sound. I eventually had to unplug it. Now it won’t turn back on. After reading everything online, I guess I am lucky it lasted this long. How disappointing and wasteful. Thankful I live in a community that recycles electronics.



  137. Dan on May 11, 2016 at 3:15 pm

    I know this post is super old but even way back let’s say 2003 just to put a date out there, you could buy a nice solid hard to break universal remote that would spam every possible code to find each button individually. The real kicker here is you could buy them in pretty much any big box store for around 30 dollars. I had to do just that with one of my televisions, to program every button took no more than 10 minutes.



  138. Steve Borsch on May 11, 2016 at 3:22 pm

    You probably read the post but I did purchase several universal remotes and used two high-end ones I already owned. None worked. It’s because Target used a couple of different manufacturers to create the Trutech products and the codes were non-standard (and not published) so not even universal remotes would work.



  139. Pam Green on November 4, 2016 at 4:53 pm

    I got the 17″ flat screen TV-DVD Trutech at a thrift store for just a few bucks, with a remote that worked just fine (no brand name or model number on that remote). but then the remote stopped working. the TV and DVD still work, but I have to use the buttons on the set itself. this one also can connect to a computer VGA port to work as a computer monitor.
    So for my very few dollars, I am not really unhappy. but if I’d bought the set retail, I’d be utterly furious.



  140. James Spottedwolf on June 11, 2017 at 9:35 pm

    Gee sorry you have had a problem with your TruTech DVD=VHS player. I have had mine for a number of years and it is stil working as well as the day I purchased it. You need to remember something, this is not a high tech brand name player and I am sure you did not pay a premium price for the player either. So take that into consideration before berated a product that you bought on the cheap and expected a Sony or other top brand to perform and last. Get a life.



  141. Don Etson on February 29, 2020 at 2:05 am

    Surprised its 2020 and my 2006 Trutech 13 inch color tv still working. Its been sitting in storage box for 10 years till it replaced failed LCD tv. Just noticed, It starts at 4:48:48 and shut down 7 seconds later. Never noticed when in use in 2006-2008. Turns out there is start and end time matching the times above. Feature cannot be turned off. TV can only be set for CH2 for cable, why CH3 doesn’t work is beyond me. Color in red not perfect but acceptable. I purchased for $60 as student and it worked well enough for Dorm Life. Was paired with 29.95 Trutech CD player, it died after later, TV wouldn’t see it in video setting but it did work; don’t remember setting. TV is controlled mostly by U-verse controller, setting found by search function, took at least 50 times to find it. Blast from the past



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About Steve Borsch

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Podcasting hit the mainstream in July of 2005 when Apple added podcast show support within iTunes. I'd seen this coming so started podcasting in May of 2005 and kept going until August of 2007. Unfortunately was never 'discovered' by national broadcasters, but made a delightfully large number of connections with people all over the world because of these shows. Click here to view the archive of my podcast posts.