What's so great about RCA?

[bgadow]

Originally Posted by Steve D.

The RCA TV brand name has been kicked from piller to post ever since the RCA brand was bought by GE. If you need warrenty work on your RCA here is a list of who did and who currently owns the RCA TV brand. And who will and will not repair them anymore. This does not include Audiovox who owns the rights to RCA's other consumer electronics products.

RCA TELEVISION SUPPORT
Address:http://voxrightnow.custhelp.com/app/...vision-support

-Steve D.

Interesting-and kinda sad that the address for "ON" isn't Indianapolis.

[colorfixer]

I noticed how the ON website quickly has nothing to do with Thompson built products and refers the visitor to their local television repair shop (if there are any left).

[Robert Grant]

Originally Posted by wa2ise

Story I heard had it that Sarnoff, at the time friendly with Armstrong, asked him to develop a noise free radio receiver. Armstrong came up with FM, not what Sarnoff had in mind, as FM would require all new transmitters in a new radio band. Sarnoff wanted a noise free AM receiver (he was the CEO, not an engineer...). And Sarnoff saw this new FM radio system as a competitor to has baby: Television. Maybe if Armstrong mentioned to Sarnoff that if television used FM for the sound, Sarnoff and RCA would have a killer app. But this is Monday morning quarterbacking... Anyway, Sarnoff was mad when the FCC mandated FM for TV sound, as he didn't want to pay patent licensing to Armstrong. Armstrong's widow eventually prevailed in the lawsuit, but Armstrong suicided before then. Not a high point in RCA corporate history...

Not to mention that being the CEO of RCA meant that Sarnoff was also in control of NBC, and the introduction of FM had the potential of reducing the domination of radio that NBC held at the time.

RCA (whose hold on radio was so strong that business people referred to the company simply as "Radio") got in on the ground floor of a huge business, and its NBC had the lion's share of the clear-channel AM stations as its affiliates, squeezing out would-be new networks (such as ABS). The introduction of FM, on which every new station would be allowed full-time operation, could have born new competition for NBC's Blue and Red on what was then radio's prime time - evenings, unless NBC were to go the exhausting effort of starting several radio networks and affiliating all of the new FM stations with them. Quash FM, and NBC's hold would be secure.

[wa2ise]

Originally Posted by Robert Grant

The introduction of FM, on which every new station would be allowed full-time operation, could have born new competition for NBC's Blue and Red on what was then radio's prime time - evenings, unless NBC were to go the exhausting effort of starting several radio networks and affiliating all of the new FM stations with them. Quash FM, and NBC's hold would be secure.

Another what if: maybe if Sarnoff offered Armstrong generous FM patent royalties for every TV sold (for FM TV sound) in exchange for Armstrong abandoning FM radio broadcasting. Sarnoff would avoid FM radio competition, and Armstrong would get a nice income. And the public would have good sound to go with the pictures. But these guys egos were too big for that to happen.

[Einar72]

Anyone old enough to be on this forum probably has owned something that said RCA on it. Those of us who grew up in the 40's-60's had a different kind of relationship with their RCA than more recent models. Turning on the AA5 phonograph to play a Dennis Day 78 or the T-1-JE to hear Bob Hardwick speak was something that was part of a bond between the craftspeople who produced the set and the owner. An owner who would cherish and maintain their very own RCA. I simply cannot imagine my world without RCA in those days.
Or now.

FDR once described a dictator by saying "he's an S.O.B., but he's our S.O.B." Well, in a way, so was Sarnoff.

[wkand]

I thought Audiovox owned the RCA brand now.

[andy]

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[rcaman]

i sold rca from 1980 until 2001 and i will have to tell ya. i made a darn good living off of rca. they were always it seems ahead of the competitors. i sold and installed hundreds and hundreds of the dss satelite systems. most of the rca product is still out there working now. steve

[sampson159]

i ve several rca products throught the years and was never unhappy with them.i did seem to buy middle or high end items,when i could.didnt care for the "legend of sarnoff",but i am a fan of u s made rca products

[Steve D.]

Originally Posted by wkand

I thought Audiovox owned the RCA brand now.

It's confusing. Audiovox purchased from Thompson the RCA brand to manufacture and market RCA branded small consumer home electonics and RCA's accessory line of cables and connectors. Thompson then sold the RCA name brand to TTE-China and they took over production of RCA branded TV's. TTE last spring then sold the RCA brand name to ON Corp. who now manufacturers RCA branded flat panel TV's. The RCA name was also used under license by Phillips to produce communications receivers with the RCA name. Now the Technicolor Corp. is the legal owner of the RCA name and is where companies go to purchase the RCA brand name to stick on their toasters, buggywhips or what ever comes to mind. Technicolor is also a subsidiary of another corp. You guessed it, Thomson. Which has now changed their corporate name to Technicolor S.A. I think Nipper is in some dog pound somewhere.

-Steve D.

[peverett]

TV makers GE(who luckily made a lot more than their crappy 1960s TVs) and Motorola are still going(at least for now in Moto's case), far outliving big TV makers (RCA and Zenith) of the 1950s/1960s. Kind of supprising.

In fact the 1950s TV maker, Hoffman is still in business as a much smaller company. I am sure there are others.

[andy]

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[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by peverett

In fact the 1950s TV maker, Hoffman is still in business as a much smaller company. I am sure there are others.

Sparton began over 100 years ago as Sparks-Withington. Now they make medical & military products.

Phil Nelson

[peverett]

Andy is correct. I think TV was just a sideline for GE, even in the 1960s. Motorola went out and invented the cell phone system. However, they blew their lead in the 1990s with arrogant and stupid management. I know, I worked for them at that time.

I have heard that one of the problems at RCA was that after Sarnoff died, control was passed to his son, a very poor ceo.

[dieseljeep]

Sarnoff must have been a real treat to bargain with. How many years did they hang on to that old-fashioned spit channel audio after everyone else went with intercarrier. He didn't want to pay Motorola for the rights to use it.