Barnes & Noble is getting ready to compete with Amazon in the downloadable movie and TV segment. According to a new report, the company is prepping Nook Video, a service that will be available for TVs, smartphones, and, of course, the Nook Tablet line of devices.
The product will launch with the help of some free Nook Video apps, and it is expected to work much in the same way Amazon’s own Instant Video service operates.
Barnes & Noble isn’t taking any chances when it comes to drawing in a crowd, allegedly forming partnerships with HBO, Sony, Starz, Viacom, Warner Bros, and Disney.
The new Nook Video platform will also offer users the choice of watching videos online through a Nook Cloud streaming service or through downloadable content that can be watched offline.
The Nook Video service is also allowing UltraViolet accounts can also be linked. That means UltraViolet purchases and qualifying DVD and Blu-ray discs purchased in the past can be added to the user’s collection and then video online at a later time.
While Barnes & Noble has not announced a released date for Nook Video, it is expected to arrive this fall in the United States followed by a UK release during the “holiday shopping season.”
Nook Video has a lot of competition in the space, and Amazon bundles its own video service with free 2-day shipping for just $79 per year. It looks like Barnes & Noble is really going to need a ploy on its side to attract the customer base it hopes to receive in an already crowding market.
