Fans of The Simpsons, here’s some news that will make you say “Woo-hoo!”
Following countless requests from fans, Disney has announced that the first nineteen seasons (and select episodes from season 20) of the beloved animated sitcom will be available to stream on Disney+ in their original 4:3 aspect ratio in early 2020.
Fans noticed at the streaming service’s launch on Tuesday that all episodes of the show on Disney+ were streamed in the widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, causing some images to be stretched and some visual gags to be cropped out.
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
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
Wow, another joke ruined by the 16×9 aspect ratio. (All you hear is a mysterious "Not again!" in this shot.) #DisneyPlusfail pic.twitter.com/XV4d7OwZ8z
— On This Day in Simpsons History
And naturally, when Simpsons fans are upset, the memes are sure to follow.
https://twitter.com/charlie_grafton/status/1194408581233364995
https://twitter.com/BuzzBlaster/status/1195146465296953344
In a statement to The A.V. Club‘s Erik Adams, a Disney spokesperson revealed the reason as to why all episodes are currently in the 16:9 aspect ratio:
We presented The Simpsons in 16:9 aspect ratio at launch in order to guarantee visual quality and consistency across all 30 seasons. Over time, Disney+ will roll out new features and additional viewing options. As part of this, in early 2020, Disney+ will make the first 19 seasons (and some episodes from Season 20) of The Simpsons available in their original 4:3 aspect ratio, giving subscribers a choice of how they prefer to view the popular series.
Those who wish to see the episodes how they were originally broadcast, they’ll be able to see them soon. And then, we’ll be able to enjoy “Man Getting Hit by Football” in its original splendor.
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Wow, that’s a lot of BS about the change, which is obviously due to viewer complaints. This Disney streaming service was announced a long time ago and they had plenty of time to have them ready in 4:3. So they clearly thought they could get away with the 16:9. And then there’s the question (maybe someone else can answer) as to why they have to “convert” to get back to the original size. Isn’t the 16:9 the conversion?