DIRECTV has added HBO and Cinemax programs to its Video On Demand(VOD) lineup

HBO's VOD lineup includes the entire season of the Golden Globe-nominated Boardwalk Empire as well as movies, original shows and documentaries while Cinemax's VOD menu features movies.

The two channels have been conspicuously absent from the DIRECTV On Demand menu. DIRECTV, which launched its VOD service in July 2008, has been offering numerous channels on demand including Showtime, Starz, HDNet, IFC and A&E.

DIRECTV has not issued a press release explaining why HBO and Cinemax are being added now, but it's likely the satcaster recently reached a deal with Time Warner which owns both channels. The two channels were added to DIRECTV On Demand this week.

The satellite TV service has expressed optimism that its VOD service will compete effectively with the On Demand services offered by cable and telco operators. However, unlike their rivals' VOD offerings, DIRECTV's VOD service requires subscribers to connect their set-tops to the Internet.

DIRECTV recently acknowledged that the Net issue has been an obstacle, saying that it plans to soon offer a free service to connect their subscribers' set-tops to the Internet. The company did not offer details, but Investor's Business Daily has reported that DIRECTV is testing a joint Internet service with Verizon.