The Nook Video service which Barnes & Noble had launched during the launch of the Nook HD and Nook HD+ devices last year has now been thrown open to Android and iOS users as well as Roku boxes. The service which allowed for buying or renting movies as well as TV shows has been exclusive to the Nook tablets though not any more.

Even those who have purchased the previous generation Nook devices such as the Nook Color or the Nook Tablet will also be able to use the app. The app is available completely free but the service is only exclusive to the US right now and there is no word when it could be launched in other regions as well, if at all.

Significantly, Nook Video app has given Windows a miss even though Microsoft has a sizeable stake in the company. B&N has already made it known they are quitting the tablet business and will remain confined to making only ebook reading devices. The move towards opening up Nook Video can be considered to be a step in that direction as users can still have many of the stuff that they’d get from a Nook tablet on other competing devices as well.

B&N has had a change of guard recently while the company too is in the midst of a financial mess of sorts. Profits have been down which along with increased competition from rival companies such as Amazon had forced it to abandon its tablet plans. It has also been providing some heady discounts to its current devices lineup to boost sales. The Nook Simple Touch has now breached the $100 marks, retailing as it is at $99.99.

However, it remains unclear just how well Nook Video will be accepted by Android or iOS users. Both the platform boasts of their exclusive video stores that are better stocked than the Nook Video. However, the one advantage that Nook Video has is that it is compatible with both the platforms.