Now this is smart. When CNBC goes HD this fall, it will continue to broadcast the anchors in 4×3, but it will shift them to the left to allow for extra graphics and web content on the right. “What we did was take a very nontraditional approach to HD,†says Steve Fastook, CNBC vice president of technical and commercial operations. “It would be relatively easy for me to replace all the cameras, make the studios all hi-def and be all happy. But it doesn’t give viewers anything different than what’s on CNBC [in the traditional world].†Beyond the extra financial graphics, the extra screen space will also feature CNBC.com’s live video feed — viewers can listen in by selecting the SAP feature on their TVs.
Update: TVNewser has a screen grab of how it will look