Comment by Animats
6 months ago
RCA's Sarnoff Labs produced the image orthicon, NTSC color TV, an early videotape system, an early flat-panel-display, and lots of vacuum tube innovations.[1]
The big business mistakes were in the 1970s, when RCA tried to become a diversified conglomerate. At one point they owned Hertz Rent-A-Car and Banquet TV dinners.[2]
[1] https://eyesofageneration.com/rca-sarnoff-library-photo-arch...
This seems to be the fate of many companies. Rockwell at one point somehow was producing the space shuttle while also having a division that made automotive components.