We investigate the possibilities for electrodeposition of TI-VI compounds on porous substrates. ZnTe and CdTe are deposited on porous TiO2 and characterised by scanning electron microscopy and electrical measurements. it is shown that CdTe can be deposited as a homogeneous film covering a highly structured substrate in conformal manner, while ZnTe is able to fill up the porous structure to a certain extent. However, the ZnTe deposition exhibits a strong tendency for irregular growth, and a smooth top surface has so far not been obtained. These morphological differences can be attributed to different deposition mechanisms. While CdTe growth is characterised by a chemical autoregulation mechanism that allows stoichiometric deposition, ZnTe deposition appears to show a higher dependence on potential and Te concentration. As a consequence, exposed regions of the substrate are more readily covered with ZnTe. The growth near the SnO2 contact is apparently zinc rich, indicating a potential drop over the TiO2 together with a diffusion limitation for Te. Despite inhomogeneous growth, efficient electron transfer from the ZnTe to the TiO2 substrate is observed.