Disney Plus presents The Simpsons in original format in June 2020

Disney Plus & # 39; s extensive content catalog introduces the first 30 seasons of The Simpsons, but longtime fans of the show are frustrated to find that the streaming service doesn't show older episodes at their original 4: 3 rating.

First, a little background: The Simpsons released in 1989, back when all the TV on the market was in a "square" or "full screen" of 4: 3, with a resolution known as "standard definition." The show did not switch to a broader 16: 9 description until February 2009, in the middle of its 20th season.

Those first 19.5 times for The Simpsons they cover a total of 429 pre-HD episodes – about two-thirds of the 661 currently available on Disney Plus. But in the streaming service, they only look at a 16: 9 ratio. The modified episodes are the result of a "re-remembering" process aimed at translating the show into HD in improved color and clarity. But in many cases, the width change simply cuts the top and bottom of the original image and / or the cell to fit the 16: 9 aspect ratio – which favors some of the obvious visual effects.

To see, check it out the 1993 Disney Plus version of "Duffless," Episode 16 of Season 4, which spills a huge Duff pastoral joke:

This will certainly bring back bad memories The Simpsons followers – they face the same issue in the summer of 2014, when Fox first released the race on your entire FXX The Simpsons episode. Even when the company introduced later Simpsons World, a website that used to be a special home for streaming The Simpsons so far, it only offers 16: 9 versions of SD episodes. (At that time, fans have included some comparison photos illustrating how much the crop lost.) It wasn't until months after the temporary release of Simpsons World that Fox added users' ability to choose between versions 4: 3 and 16: 9 of SD episodes.

It's a bitter pill to swallow again, especially since there was evidence that Disney Plus would do just fine The Simpsons followers. At the end of October, one of those fans posted a screenshot of a direct Twitter message chat with official Disney Plus support account. Someone asked about him The Simpsons, and a Disney Plus representative responded, "The episodes will be released in real original value. That is, if the episode originally appeared at 4: 3, it will be available for that feature."

Not at all, at least at first. That is also exciting The Simpsons on Disney Plus does not appear on any of the bonus features provided by Simpsons World, such as the episode director or the ability to watch episodes with audio analysis from Fox's DVDs. (Disney Plus offers at least some audio tracks The Simpsons in English, Spanish, and French, and subtitles in English, Spanish, French, and Dutch. And don't forget that when Disney Plus introduced, The Simpsons World site is OK, not for long in this world. Disney hope to finally bring Simpsons World features to Disney Plus.

Bill Oakley, who worked as a writer and illustrator The Simpsons years, referenced Simpsons World's performance in the world interview with Live digital tracks on Tuesday, it says, "At least, (Disney) would allow people to (()) click and change it to 4: 3. I hope they bring that option to Disney Plus, because it's like, that's what fans want to see – at least, hardcore fans say they saw the show the way it was. ”

We reached out to Disney about The Simpsons on Disney Plus and the status of Simpsons World, but haven't heard back; asked by The Verge about the issue of rating, a Disney spokeswoman declined to comment. We update this article with any information we receive.

Update (November 15): Disney Plus will offer pre-HD episodes The Simpsons according to their initial 4: 3 ratio – and the option to switch between 4: 3 and 16: 9 – starting in 2020, "a company spokesperson said Friday in a statement to Polgongon.

“We have brought The Simpsons at 16: 9 average when presented to ensure transparency and consistency throughout the 30-year period, ”the statement said. Over time, Disney + will release new features and additional viewing options. As part of this, at the beginning of 2020, Disney + will make the first 19 seasons (and other episodes from Season 20) for The Simpsons available with their original 4: 3 rating, giving subscribers a choice in how they choose to watch the popular series. ”

Update 2 (April 2, 2020): After offering a "2020" rating in November when the first 19-plus seasons The Simpsons will be available on Disney Plus in its first 4: 3 ratio, with Disney pressing the timeline in late spring 2020.

"We appreciate the patience of our fans and are working to make the first 19 (and 20th) Season #TheSimpsons available in 4: 3 versions on #DisneyPlus," the company said a titter from a Disney Plus account. "We expect to end this in May."

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