Disney now offers The Simpsons in its original 4:3 aspect ratio
Disney now offers The Simpsons in its original 4:3 aspect ratio
Back when the Simpsons first aired, televisions with 4:3 aspect ratios were commonplace, but since then 16:9 widescreen displays have become the standard for all new TVs and monitors. With these new screens in mind, the classic seasons of The Simpsons were “remastered” to support these new aspect ratios, a process which cut content from the top and bottom of the screen. This process resulted in ruined visual gags and other undesirable changes.
Below is an example of this change, which saw an entire joke cut from the show. With this in mind, it is easy to see why fans of the series have been crying out for a 4:3 “original” option within Disney.
Now, Disney users have the option to watch the Simpson’s original seasons with its original 4:3 aspect ratio or using its “remastered” 16:9 aspect ratio. By default, the show’s 16:9 aspect ratio will be selected, but under the show’s “details”, an option for the show’s “Remastered Aspect Ratio” will be available. This option should be available on all browsers and devices where Disney is available.
More recent episodes of The Simpsons were created with 16:9 aspect ratios in mind, which means that there is no 4:3 option available. These episodes will play at their standard 16:9 aspect ratio regardless of what aspect ratio option is selected. This transition happened during The Simpson’s 20th season.
You can join the discussion on The Simpson gaining “original” 4:3 aspect ratio support on Disney on the OC3D Forums.