In the market for a sleek new flat screen TV? Perhaps you're thinking of buying one with your upcoming rebate check.

If so, you may be tempted by all the new brands of TVs that sell for hundreds of dollars less than established brands like Sony. However, those cheaper brands could cost you more in the long run, NewsChannel5 reported.

Melissa Steinkamp's Trutech high definition television set is brand new, but it stopped working one month after its one year warranty ended. Steinkamp called Target where she bought it, but said the store couldn't help.

When she tried to find Trutech, she found its not really a TV manufacturer, just Target's in-house brand name.

"I can't find any way to contact Trutech even online. I can't find a way to phone them about fixing the TV," said Steinkamp.

When she conducted an Internet search for Trutech, Steinkamp said she found dozens of complaints. So she started calling repair shops.

According to Steinkamp, "As soon as you mention you have a Trutech, they tell you they can't help you."

TV repair expert John Graff agreed.

"Every day of the week someone comes in with a brand purchased in a discount store and we're unable to do anything with it. Its just unrepairable," said Graff.

According to Graff, to keep their prices so low, off-brands like Trutech won't provide shops with either parts or instructions.

The Web site www.hdguru.com calls some off-brands "disposable HDTVs."

Experts at the site said when many cheap TV brands break after the warranty expires the consumer's only option is shipping the set to the company. Some people are asked to pay $100 to $200 just in shipping charges.

Hdguru.com lists TV's that have a repair network and be can fixed locally. They include Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, LG, Sango, Toshiba, Hitachi, Philips, and Sharp.

As for Steinkamp, a Target spokeswoman said most Trutech products last for years without trouble. The store promised to help fix the set. Target suggests customers buy its extended warranty, which will cover breakdowns for several more years.