Comcast said its video-on-demand service has surpassed 3 billion program views since 2004, and has launched a new online program guide called TV Planner on its Web portal as an aid to subscribers.

Requests for on-demand programming are increasing. Comcast said it set a new monthly record for July with customers watching 180 million On Demand shows.

Music videos and programs have proven to be the most popular, with more than 540 million viewed, followed by children’s shows (more than 330 million viewed), free movies (more than 180 million), and sports and fitness programs (more than 73 million).

TV Planner enables viewers to search for content by title, category (e.g., movies, sports, kids, HD) and genre (comedy, documentary and drama).

Comcast said its library has grown to more than 7,500 programs per month.

Approximately 95 percent of On Demand programs are available at no additional charge for Comcast Digital Cable customers based on their service levels.