Comcast has begun testing its own video-sharing site, Ziddio, which would allow users to upload videos, with the best ones to be aired on the cable operator's on-demand service.

Comcast wants to differentiate Ziddio, which will fully launch later this year, from competitors such as YouTube, by allowing users the chance to win prizes and to be featured on Comcast's on-demand service, Reuters reports. Ziddio's site features eight genres, including animation, comedies and music, and includes options for chat between users as well as a community area.

Ziddio is Comcast's latest attempt to get a foothold in the video-sharing/user-generated content sector. Last year Comcast launced Dating On Demand, a service that allows users to submit their videos, which can be played on demand. Its investment division, Comcast Interactive Capital, has purchased a stake in Revver, a YouTube competitor that pays users for their submitted videos.

Comcast also wants Ziddio's offerings to have a more cinematic feel than its competitors'. The company has relationships with networks such as Time Warner's HBO Network, and is inviting users to take part in a video contest called "Join The Jedi Order," to coincide with the premiere of all six Star Wars movies in High Definition television.