Form 6-K
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the month of January 2007
Commission File Number: 001-06439
SONY CORPORATION
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
7-35 KITASHINAGAWA 6-CHOME, SHINAGAWA-KU, TOKYO, JAPAN
(Address of principal executive offices)
The registrant files annual reports under cover of Form 20-F.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports
under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F,
Form 20-F X Form 40-F __
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
Yes No X
If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b):82-______
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
SONY CORPORATION
(Registrant)
By: /s/ Nobuyuki Oneda
(Signature)
Nobuyuki Oneda
Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
Date: January 08, 2007
List of materials
Documents attached hereto:
i) Press release announcing Transformation is Sony's CES Theme
TRANSFORMATION IS SONY'S CES THEME
Internet Video HDTV, New Partnerships, Hot Products and Entertainment Talent
Bring the Message Home
LAS VEGAS(CES Booth 14200), Jan. 7, 2007 - Sony is continuing its
transformation into an entertainment powerhouse here at the Consumer Electronics
Show with a 100,000 square-foot exhibit that brings together all of the
company's strengths from electronics, music and gaming to movies, television and
online entertainment.
In a press conference kicked off by Sony BMG Music Grammy
award-winning musician Joshua Bell, several of the company's U.S. business
leaders announced products and technologies related to four strategic growth
areas -gaming, high definition, digital imaging and mobile products.
Most notably, Sony Electronics President and Chief Operating
Officer Stan Glasgow unveiled the company's first Internet video system. He
announced that in 2007 the majority of new Sony televisions - starting with
several BRAVIA(TM) flat-panel LCD TVs this spring - will accept an attachable
module that can stream broadband high-definition and other Internet video
content with the press of a remote control button. The module will be available
this summer.
"While other companies struggle with standard definition, Sony has
developed a scalable Internet HDTV solution with some notable partners providing
content," Glasgow said.
Those partners include AOL, Yahoo! and Grouper, now part of Sony
Pictures Entertainment, as well as Sony Pictures itself and Sony BMG. Executives
from the first three companies joined Glasgow for a demonstration.
Sony's Xross Media Bar(TM) (XMB), an icon-based user interface similar to
what is already found on PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3), PlayStation(R)Portable and a
recently introduced Sony A/V receiver, made its debut in conjunction with the
Internet video demo.
Glasgow also reported that Sony Electronics enjoyed strong holiday sales
in the United States, which have put the company on track for a year of
double-digit growth.
PlayStation
Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing for Sony Computer
Entertainment America, demonstrated why PS3 was the darling of the holiday
season and announced the company shipped one million units of PS3, equipped with
high-definition, Blu-ray disc drives, in the United States by the end of
December.
More High Definition
Acknowledging Sony's leadership in what the company calls "Full HD"
across practically every product category in both consumer and professional
arenas, Randy Waynick, senior vice president of Sony Electronics' Home Products
Division, highlighted a continuum of HD technology from the lens to the living
room.
Waynick previewed a prototype 55-inch SXRD(TM) Grand WEGA(TM) rear
projection micro-display television with a new laser light engine technology
that enhances color uniformity and brightness, while maintaining a slim profile.
He also recounted the success of Sony's BRAVIA(TM) flat-panel LCD line,
which comprises 16 models ranging in size from 23- to 52-inch screens, before
announcing the newest member of the family, a state-of-the-art 70-inch 1080p HD
television.
The model features a new backlighting system and contrast ratio
enhancements, as well as three HDMI inputs for full 1080p connectivity to the
latest Blu-ray Disc(TM) players. It is also distinguished by its high refresh
rate and x.v.Color technology, which is Sony's name for xvYCC, a new
international standard in color technology for personal video applications.
x.v.Color ensures vibrant, life-like color reproduction.
Also on view were prototypes of a wall-sized, 82-inch BRAVIA
flat-panel LCD and a 27-inch Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display capable
of full HD performance in a razor-thin form factor.
To expand the HD story beyond televisions and PlayStation 3, Sony
took the wraps off a family of Blu-Ray products, including the new VAIO(R) XL3
Digital Living System equipped with a BD drive, which is ready to record and
store high-definition television programming. Two new Blu-ray players slated to
arrive on the market in the months ahead were also previewed.
Behind the Lens
Moving from the enjoyment to the creation of high-quality content,
Steve Haber, senior vice president for Sony Electronics' Personal Mobile and
Imaging Division, focused on digital imaging technology. He began by unveiling
16 new Handycam(R) camcorders - several in high definition - using three
different media formats: hard disc drive, DVD and DV tape.
There are four new models using AVCHD technology in the HD camp -
two disc-based and two that use HDV tape. The top-of-the-line entries feature
Sony's Clear VID CMOS sensor and Optical Image Stabilization technology for
outstanding performance under a variety of lighting conditions. These models
also sport a new three-megapixel imager that enhances HD video, as well as still
photography.
All of the HD models employ x.v.Color technology, which enables the
color data range (known as s-RGB) to be expanded to more closely approximate
what the human eye is able to see.
Haber said content captured with one of these camcorders and played back
on an x.v.Color-compliant 70-inch BRAVIA television will appear more
true-to-life than ever before.
Riding the wave of popularity of user-created content posted on Internet
sites, such as Sony's Grouper, Haber introduced five new hard-disc drive
camcorders starting at $600, with recording capacities ranging from 30 to 60GB,
as well as advanced data protection systems and 40X optical zoom lenses.
He said Sony has quickly become the market share leader in the hard drive
segment of this business in the United States with more than 60 percent of the
market.
A new line of DVD standard-definition camcorders for those seeking
recording and playback simplicity was also on display, starting at under $500,
along with some new Mini-DV models.
Hear, There and Everywhere
Hideyuki Furumi, senior vice president of Sony's IT Product Division,
discussed the company's commitment to personalization and portability in
products that allow consumers to access a variety of entertainment,
communication and information without boundaries.
The VAIO UX 390 Premium Micro PC illustrated the point. Now flash-based,
the UX series computers weigh about a pound. Furumi said it is the
smallest-sized, full-functioning notebook around.
Among other VAIO products making their debut were the WA1 Wireless Digital
Music Streamer, which streams music or Internet radio from a PC for playback in
virtually any room of a house, and the TP1 Digital Living System, a
one-of-a-kind home computer. These spherical, white devices "shatter the notion
of what a PC product should look like or where it should reside in your home,"
Furumi said.
Sony also has a "backstage" theater in the booth to showcase its
entertainment assets and electronics prowess, including live performances by
several Sony BMG Music artists like Joshua Bell and Landon Pigg, as well as Sony
Pictures high-definition movie previews, speaker panels on topics ranging from
electronic books to the HD transition, and informative product demonstrations.