This significant increase in movie content will begin launching in Comcast's Xfinity markets in Philadelphia and Washington, DC, and will continue rolling out to Comcast Digital Cable customers across the country.

ENGADGET: Comcast's HD VOD selections continue to approach infinity, or at least 3,000

RipeTV will debut in 6 million Comcast digital cable homes early next year as a video-on-demand service, letting viewers pull down any one of 10 shows or all 4 episodes of one series or the entire 40 shows offered each month.

FORBES: Attention Deficit Television

"Through the launch of WatchESPN, as well as the overall multi-year Disney relationship we announced earlier this year, we are providing millions of customers the opportunity to get more sports and entertainment programming across multiple platforms, " said Matt Strauss, Senior Vice President, Digital and Emerging Platforms, Comcast Cable.

ENGADGET: blogger-avatar

But it may also spark renewed price competition between broadband service providers, such as phone companies like Verizon Communications pushing digital subscriber line service, and cable companies like Comcast and Time Warner offering cable modem service.

FORBES: Wireless Standards On The Move

The joint venture, which will consist of the NBC Universal (NBCU) businesses and Comcast's cable networks, regional sports networks and certain digital properties and certain unconsolidated investments, will be well positioned to compete in an increasingly dynamic and competitive media and digital environment.

ENGADGET: Comcast takes control of NBC, promises not to crush Hulu

Comcast , with 23 million cable customers in 36 states, added 483, 000 digital voice customers in its third quarter.

FORBES: Verizon's Big TV Bet Goes Small-Town