Disney has announced that it expects to have all classic episodes of The Simpsons streaming in their original 4:3 aspect ratio by the end of May.
On Twitter, the official Disney+ account noted that this includes the entire first 19 seasons of the animated sitcom, as well as certain episodes from Season 20.
We appreciate our fans’ patience and are working to make the first 19 Seasons (and part of 20) of #TheSimpsons available in 4:3 versions on #DisneyPlus. We expect to accomplish this by the end of May.
— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus) April 2, 2020
One of the main selling points of the Disney-owned streaming service when it launched in November was the fact that all 30 seasons of The Simpsons were available to stream on day one. However, fans quickly noticed that the aspect ratio of older episodes — originally set to 4:3 when broadcast on TV — was changed to 16:9.
In some cases, this resulted in the series’ signature visual gags being cut out of the frame.
All the classic Simpsons episodes on Disney+ are in cropped widescreen format — this means you miss out on tons of great visual jokes, like how Duff, Duff Lite and Duff Dry all come from the same tube. pic.twitter.com/cTy9adulFl
— Tristan Cooper (@TristanACooper) November 12, 2019
Further, the altered aspect ratio sometimes led to characters like Bart appearing stretched out in an awkward way.
Not only are the classic Simpsons episodes on Disney+ awkwardly cropped, but they're stretched in a lot of places too. Bart's head looks 4 inches wider here: pic.twitter.com/fCpmTPasGj
— Tristan Cooper (@TristanACooper) November 12, 2019
At the time, Disney said it made the decision to shift to 16:9 to “guarantee visual quality and consistency across all 30 seasons,” given that the more recent seasons output in that aspect ratio. However, the company acknowledged the criticism and promised to roll out “new features and additional viewing options,” including the option to stream in 4:3.
Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, it remains to be seen whether Disney will be able to hit its late May target window. In any case, being able to stream The Simpsons in its original 4:3 glory will no doubt be a great option for people stuck at home during the global health crisis.
Image credit: Disney
Source: Disney
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