Comcast beefs up HD VOD offerings in a big way

Movie debuts, television series premieres, Action trilogies and oscar-winning films pack comcast's on demand service
More Hot Hits Added Every Week to Entertain Viewers and Deliver More High-Definition Choices Available Anywhere, Any Time
Top VOD Titles Include: The Bourne Trilogy, Michael Clayton, the Rush Hour Trilogy, and Academy-Award Winners Ray, Traffic, The Pianist, The Queen Rain Man, The Departed, Happy Feet
PHILADELPHIA, PA – February 4, 2008 – Comcast, the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications, announced top new titles on its signature video on demand (VOD) service, most available in HD. The new lineup includes:
* Hollywood hits that are available the same day the films hit DVD;
* Hot television series premiering on VOD at least one week before airing on linear television channels;
* Two action-packed, blockbuster trilogies; and
* Special Academy Award-winning films for every movie buff.
The news follows Comcast's announcement of Project Infinity, its vision to deliver exponentially more content choice on TV, including more high-definition (HD), sports, movies, kids' programs and network TV shows which the company introduced at the Consumer Electronics show on Jan 8th.
"Television viewing has changed and consumers have an insatiable appetite for personalized content delivered directly to their TVs. We're leading the charge and our customers love it" said Derek Harrar, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Video Services for Comcast. "With top titles like the Bourne and Rush Hour trilogies, we're giving our customers more movies, more shows and more HD than anyone else – all available at the click of their remote control."
These new viewing choices are part of Comcast's video-on-demand lineup with more than 10,000 VOD selections available each month. Comcast customers now are selecting On Demand more than 100 times per second, with about 275 million views monthly; and since 2003, the company has seen viewership grow dramatically, surpassing six billion views.
Comcast's On Demand highlights are outlined below, along with links to details about each of them provided by Fancast.com, which Comcast also launched at CES. Fancast.com is the first online destination that enables users to watch, manage and find entertainment content wherever it is available – on Fancast, on television, online, on DVD or in theaters.
Hollywood blockbuster trilogies available On Demand include:
Bourne Trilogy
Available now, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/The-Bourne-Identity/16910/main
http://www.fancast.com/movies/The-Bourne-Supremacy/10291/main
http://www.fancast.com/movies/The-Bourne-Ultimatum/94583/main
Rush Hour Trilogy
Available now, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Rush-Hour/11286/main
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Rush-Hour-2/8051/main
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Rush-Hour-3/96289/main
Feature films available On Demand the same day they're released on DVD, including:
Shoot Em Up
Available now, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Shoot-em-Up/91231/main
Mr. Woodcock
Available now, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Mr.-Woodcock/9015/main
Invasion
Available now, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/The-Invasion/15476/main
The Brave One
Available 2/5, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/The-Brave-One/15335/main
Rendition
Available 2/19, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Rendition/96130/main
No Reservations
Available 2/12, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/No-Reservations/8030/main
Michael Clayton
Available 2/19, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/movies/Michael-Clayton/30659/main
Academy Award-winning favorites this month;
With more than 30 Academy Award-winning movies available On Demand in February, any movie buff can find what they're looking for, with titles like Ray*, The Pianist*, Traffic*, The Queen*, Dances with Wolves, Rain Man, The Departed and Gandhi-as well as family favorites like Happy Feet and Babe* for younger fans.
*These titles also are available in HD.
Premium and free television premieres available On Demand include:
The Tudors
First season available 2/18 to all Comcast Digital Cable customers, even if they don't subscribe to Showtime, also in HD; second season premiering in March, available to Showtime subscribers, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/tv/The-Tudors/95710/main
The Wire
Available now
http://www.fancast.com/tv/The-Wire-%28HBO%29/88049/main
Flavor of Love
Available 2/4, also in HD
http://www.fancast.com/tv/Flavor-of-Love/1706/main
Also available are the highly anticipated series, Whitest Kids U' Know and Pinks, all also in HD, and the movie Husband for Hire.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (http://www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services. With 24.2 million cable customers, 12.9 million high-speed Internet customers, and 4.1 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.
Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, AZN Television, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten regional Comcast SportsNets and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet business. Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.






















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ben @ Feb 4th 2008 3:48PM
It's really nice to see The Whitest Kids U' Know on HD VOD and that The Tudors are going to be available even to non-Showtime subscribers.
Mike @ Feb 4th 2008 5:10PM
I've had Comcast ever since VOOM went belly up and I must say that they have continually upgraded their HD and HD VOD. It's to the point now where I just don't have enough time to watch it all (even with some stuff stored on the DVR). I know people like to bitch about Comcast (especially their prices) but damn, they do deliver.
UnnDunn @ Feb 4th 2008 5:11PM
Why is this news? Bourne and Rush Hour have been available on Comcast HD VOD for weeks now.
Pitta @ Feb 4th 2008 10:10PM
Where did that cool look for the Comcast VOD service come from? My box still looks like crap!
I'll still never go satalite though :-p
Mark Miller @ Feb 5th 2008 4:23AM
That is the Comcast Central page, if you have a Motorola converter, hit menu and the first icon on the left is the Comcast Central one. There are different flavors of it for general, sports, news and kids.
GhostDoggy @ Feb 5th 2008 4:54AM
I'm still confused on the whole VOD vs end user network storage legal aspects. The cable companies last year tried to roll out a means for their end users to DVR shows, but do so on a centralized cableco network storage facility. The industry wouldn't let them do it, but VOD seems to be just fine.
While I commend Comcast for doing this, their localized franchise system is just too depressing to bother looking. Of course this is personal to one's individual franchise, but I can only speak for myself. The 20-hour HD DVR mine uses it pitiful and keeping me from giving Comcast all my money. :)
kathy @ Feb 5th 2008 1:17PM
Test
Nipsey Russell @ Feb 5th 2008 4:36PM
but....more free HD movie choices??? please?
Jeremy @ Feb 5th 2008 6:03PM
I'd love to know where that pic of this fantastical looking VOD GUI came from...? Because mine looks like ass.
Greg @ Feb 6th 2008 12:12AM
I would like to see more hd movies On Demand, but its a good start