Add two stations to Project Infinity, Comcast has -- after several years of battling -- signed up Mark Cuban's HDNet and HDNet Movies, plus a free video on-demand package. Specifics on when the channels should go live in your area weren't noted, only that the cable company plans to increase its carriage of the two networks over the next year. Hopefully Comcast subscribers will get a (non-bandwidth starved) peek at Dan Rather, HDNet Fights, early movie premieres and more before tru2way and switched digital video roll out, but we can't be sure.

Ready for another concert series from HDNet? This time around the 1080i, 5.1 surround series is titled Hard Drive HD and has been created in partnership with AOL Music. The idea is for concerts to air Sunday nights on HDNet, then Monday on AOL music when the show airs regularly starting in October. All 13 concerts come from the House of Blues in Atlantic City, the sneak peek coming July 13 at 8 p.m. features Good Charlotte, ahead of HDNet's usual Concert Series.

[Disclosure: Engadget is owned by AOL which, we're going to go out on a limb here, probably also owns AOL Music]

Rack up another collaboration for the MMA-centric HDNet Fights brand. The topsy turvy world of MMA has seen lots of M&A activity over the past year, which fits pretty well with HDNet Fights' come-one-come-all partnership attitude. Adrenaline MMA, formerly under the M-1 Global banner, will be bringing its first three cards to HDNet. The first event will be in Chicago on June 14, with a second show on September 6. Disappointingly, this agreement comes too late for those hoping to see top-ranked Fedor Emelianenko come to HDNet, as he split with M-1 before the restructuring; so any Emelianenko vs. Silvia matchup will have to be a cross-promotion. But like we said, it just might be possible in the "anything goes" operations of HDNet Fights.

Fledgling MMA player HDNet fights has signed up with an even fresher face in the MMA game, DREAM, to air six DREAM Japanese fight cards here in the US. The DREAM organization kicked things off in Japan on March 15, but don't confuse its newcomer status with a lack of experience; the organization looks an awful lot like K-1 HERO'S combined with the now-defunct PRIDE, right down to several of the fighters and staff (and apparently, an affinity for all caps). From the sound of things, DREAM is having a hard time getting off the ground in its home of Japan, so we're pretty sure HDNet was able to pick up the deal under some pretty favorable terms. Could HDNet Fights' take-all-comers approach get us some HD competition for the UFC over here? We certainly hope so.

On this week's podcast we got down a little bit on oval course racing, but if you want to check out a different take on the theme, tune in to HDNet on April 11th and 12th. For the sixth year, the network will be broadcasting the "Little 500" from Indiana University. It's an oval all right, but the event is all about fixed-gear single-speed bicycles with coaster brakes on a quarter-mile cinder track. No matter whether they're a "cutter" or a "frat boy," riders must use an event-provided bike with no mods and must make switches during the event. Think you were fast on that banana-seat Schwinn (complete with "are you kidding me" toptube-mounted gearshift) as a kid? Think again.


[Image courtesy BikeIcons]

The All-for-Nots kick off a 24-city tour of America March 9, when their show premieres on HDNet at 7:45 p.m. A comedy series made up of 7-10 minute episodes, this fictional documentary -- sounds a lot like a Flight of the Conchords / The Office mash-up to us -- will serve as a lead in to the channel's Sunday Night Concert Series. EngadgetHD friend Mark Cuban thinks viewers will tune in via cellphone and Youtube networks where the episodes will be posted by its studio (Vuguru, notably founded by Michael Eisner's The Tornante Company), and catch up on the shorts in HD and 5.1 surround sound on the weekend. After quarterlife set a record for being yanked after one episode, we're not overly optimistic, but out of the ratings obsessed culture of network TV, maybe The AFN has a shot.

Sure, there's been plenty of WWE talk 'round these parts lately, but we're making sure MMA fanatics aren't left in the cold, either. Later this month, HDNet Fights will exclusively air the debut of Kim Couture, who, if you couldn't surmise, is the wife of famed MMA legend Randy "The Natural" Couture. The event is slated to take place at the Xtreme Couture Gym in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 29th directly after the network's LIVE IFL event. If that just seems too far away, feel free to catch Mrs. Couture (and her hubby) on Inside MMA this Friday at 9:30PM (also on HDNet).

[Image courtesy of NBC Sports]

If we had to surmise, we'd say that the primary in Florida will be one of the most closely watched for whatever reason, but hey, call it a hunch. As expected, Dan Rather Reports on Politics will also be headed down to Miller Auditorium at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida to provide a two-hour live broadcast to analyze the outcome of the primary. Notably, Rather will be joined by "veteran campaign strategists" Republican Mike Murphy and Democrat Donald Fowler, and if insanity breaks out again over hanging chads and the like, we're sure it'll be quite the time. Tune in next Tuesday at 8:00PM EST on HDNet, and cross your fingers for controversy.

Got any big plans for New Year's Eve? If not, HDNet Movies is hoping you'll spend the evening glued to the Alfred Hitchcock marathon that will be broadcast as 2008 rolls in. Starting at 3:30AM on December 31st, viewers can catch nine of Hitchcock's classics before the feature presentation takes over at 10:30PM. 'Course, we needn't tell you that Psycho will indeed be the main act, but horror aficionados will also appreciate the likes of Vertigo, The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Birds and Rear Window (just to name a few). Reportedly, each of the movies were "meticulously converted from original film sources" in order to be shown in 1080i, and hey, if you've already made plans to get out of town, just pick up a capacious new DVR and catch up when you return.

[Image courtesy of BuyCostumes]

HDNet Fights, the fledgling MMA company under Mark Cuban's HDNet (duh) has announced a couple of partnerships that should get its programming off to a great start for 2008. First, HDNet Fights will be broadcasting the International Fight League's World Grand Prix Finals on December 29, bringing the IFL its first HD broadcast. A few days later, the company will be kicking off a four-event contract with M-1 fighter, top-ranked Fedor Emelianenko (pictured). This event will take place on New Year's Eve and will mark the beginning of a planned 24 fight cards for HDNet Fights in 2008. No doubt, UFC is the big player in MMA, but with its open-door policy to working with other fight leagues, HDNet is coming out swinging!

HDNet was less than pleased with DirecTV's plans to move HDNet and HDNet Movies to the new HD tier. HDNet has been a part of DirecTV's HD package for some time, but with the addition of so many new HD channels, they created a new $5/mo HD Extra Pack consisting of all the HD only channels. HDNet sued DirecTV, and now the two have settled on what Mark Cuban described as a "win-win" compromise. HDNet will remain free to anyone who pays DirecTV's $10/mo HD access fee, while HDNet Movies will be moved to the HD Extra Pack. HDNet isn't the only HD only channel to get special treatment, as Discovery's HD Theater will also remain.

Our favorite HD channel has been part of DirecTV's total choice package as long as we can remember and while there has always been a fee to have access to DirecTV's HD programming, now DirecTV wants to charge another $5 a month to access HDNet and HDNet Movies. We've heard this over and over again, networks just hate to be on a tier, and as a result many have sued various providers in an attempt to widen their audience. Now, thanks to a temporary injunction, HDNet will remain free to everyone -- which isn't really saying much, since everyone is currently getting the HD Extra Pack for free anyways. In the long run, we can see HDNet's point on this one, and while we respect the fact that tiers can be a good thing for providers and customers, we hope Mark wins this one. Oh, and while you got the lawyers billing you hourly Mark, why not add bit-starving to the case while you're at it?

Mark Cuban is looking to take HDNet into the MMA fight game. Yesterday Cuban announced HDNet Fights, a company that will air its mixed martial arts fights under the namesake network. The first event is scheduled for October 13, and HDNet plans to broadcast fights every week. MMA is growing very rapidly in the United States, with the Ultimate Fighting Championship being the big dog. Cuban has at least three things going for him in this venture: deep pockets, a proven track record dealing with foreign athletic talent, and HD broadcast experience. When asked about what fighters might be coming to the new organization, including PRIDE heavyweight champ Fedor Emelianenko, Cuban said HDNet Fights is "talking to anyone and everyone."

The road to ESPN's HD channels for Time Warner Cable customers has been a long and somewhat painful one. First they had to wait a very long time to get the channel at all, and then when it was finally added, customers discovered that they had to pay an extra fee (typically $10) since the channel was added to the HD tier. Then when TWC finally added ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD came along and then again customers had to wait some time before they could enjoy all those college football games and drag racing in HD. Now with ESPNews HD just around the corner, TWC and ESPN got together and worked up a deal that will not only add ESPNews HD to the TWC lineup, but will also move all the ESPN HD channels off the HD tier, which means that all digital cable subscribers will now get the channel for no additional fee, -- assuming they have the proper equipment. This really makes us wonder how many people will pay $10 a month for four channels including HDNet, HDNet Movies, Mojo and Universal HD? They had better add some more channels if they want to make it worth our while.