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Comcast has announced it will begin test broadcasting television and movie content from HBO and Cinemax online.

Comcast's HBO and Cinemax customers will be able to access the content online via Comcast.net and Fancast.com. The HBO and Cinemax broadband services will initially provide 750 hours a month of programming and will grow over time.

Madison Bond

"For the first time HBO and Cinemax customers around the country will be able to watch their favorite shows and movies online at no additional cost," said Matt Bond, Executive Vice President of Content Acquisition for Comcast.

"This agreement is an important milestone in our long-term strategy of enabling customers to watch popular television and movie content when and where they want it."

The HBO and Cinemax broadband services will be part of Comcast's technical trial of On Demand Online with about 5,000 customers in the U.S. A major focus of the trail is to test Comcast's authentication technology, which will allow customers to view the same content online for free that they subscribe to on TV.

The service will use a log-on system for streaming content and in the future subscribers will be able to download content. Comcast says its On Demand Online service will roll-out in phases, adding new features, functionality and content over time.

The initiative is a way for Comcast to be more flexible with its content offerings while maintaining copyright protection.