Best Buy To Offer Digital Video Service
Top electronics chain Best Buy will kick off an online service CinemaNow so that customers may buy, rent and download movies and television shows. The launch is expected to take place this month.
This will make Best Buy compete better with other online media players like Amazon.com Inc., iTunes, Netflix Inc. and Vudu services.
The new digital video service is based on Sonic Solutions' Roxio CinemaNow service and will come built into devices sold at its stores, including TV sets and Blu-ray disc players. It will also be on other devices from various manufacturers later this year.
Customers can also go online through the website (www.cinemanow.com), Best Buy said on Tuesday.
Best Buy, which had announced its deal with Sonic last November, already owns digital music service Napster Inc. It aims to offer quick access to lots of new movies, independent films, and older catalog movies, with some new titles available on the same day as the comparable DVD goes on sale.