Barnes & Noble announced Tuesday that it will release video on its Nook e-reader this fall as the bookseller launches another initiative to compete with its behemoth digital competitors, Amazon and iTunes.
The company signed deals with major studios including HBO, Sony Pictures Homes Entertainment, STARZ, Viacom and Warner Bros., along with some select movie titles from Walt Disney Studios.
Starting this fall in the United States, Nook users will be able to stream and download high-definition movies and TV shows — including "Brave," "The Avengers," "Breaking Bad" and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" — through a free Nook Video app.
The app will also integrate UltraViolet, a cloud-storage service for DVDs and Blu-ray discs, allowing customers to link their accounts with the company to the Nook Cloud.
"The launch of our new digital video service with our long-time studio partners allows us to bring award-winning current and classic movies, TV shows, documentaries and more to millions of customers' screens, coming soon," William J. Lynch, Barnes & Noble's CEO, said in a statement.
The move comes weeks after Amazon, its biggest competitor in both the e-book and bookselling markets, unveiled a series of new features and redesigns for its Kindle e-reader and Kindle Fire tablet.
