Comcast Cable has moved ahead with a new video-on-demand (VOD) initiative that will place more eye candy in front of its HDTV customers.

Following through on earlier-announced plans, Comcast announced last month that it will offer about 100 hours of VOD programming in high-definition format.

Of that amount, "at least" 20 titles per month will come courtesy of premium programmer Starz Entertainment. To kick off that effort, Starz On Demand began offering the HD version of "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" via VOD on Sept. 15–more than a week before its premiere on the linear Starz HD network.

Comcast said its latest effort is in tune with a survey from International Communications Research done on behalf of the MSO that found that 80 percent of 200 respondents said they prefer to watch HD programs on their terms, rather than when they run on linear television. Favorites in the HD category included primetime network shows (65 percent), premium channel movies and series (62 percent), national sports (61 percent), and local sports (58 percent).

"Customers have clearly expressed their desire for more HD programming, and our fall HD VOD lineup will become the destination for HD movie fans," said Comcast SVP and GM of Video Services Page Thompson.

The strategy is also coming into play as pressure begins to mount in the consumer electronics field from the emerging HD-DVD and Blu-Ray hi-def DVD formats.