Comcast, Rivals Leaning on Video on Demand

What's the demand for video on demand? Cable investors are starting to get a better picture.

Over the past few years, cable TV system operators such as Comcast (CMCSA Quote) and Cox (COX Quote) have spent billions upgrading their networks to be able to offer advanced video services, including high-speed Internet connections and dozens of additional video channels.

Now, after years of grindingly slow development, video on demand -- one of the harder-to-sell advanced services -- is beginning to show progress. Comcast, the nation's largest operator of cable systems, says it's getting promising results from its rollout of VOD, which permits cable customers to choose programming from a menu, start watching it whenever they choose and control it with VCR-like commands such as pause, fast forward and rewind. VOD, says Comcast, appears to be remarkably effective in attracting and retaining customers. ...