Why doesn't Sony simply make use of the mastering houses which already exist? While pressing facilities are solidly booked, mastering houses aren't all that busy, and there are plenty of them on both coasts.
I do hope Sony makes decent pressings if they decide to do this themselves - it is really, really, really hard and time and QC intensive to make good, quiet pressings. Audiophile types are used to the superior pressings being made today, which are much better than the (mostly) crap which was made during the "golden age" of vinyl. Even the supposedly premium pressings from companies like Telarc weren't as good as now. Today's norm is for vinyl to not have crackles and pops if done well, contrary to some popular opinion.
But, having worked for years with the Sony film studio, I can confidently say that they ain't all that bright.......
