‘Seinfeld’ On Netflix Deemed ‘Unwatchable’ As Aspect Ratio Ruins Its Scenes
Video screenshot via Netflix
One of Netflix’s buzziest releases this month is Seinfeld, the 90s comedy series created by Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David.
The highly-anticipated release has drawn the ire of fans, however, due to something that seemed inconspicuous at first: the show’s aspect ratio.
As with most television shows filmed back then, the original series was filmed in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Netflix, which often streams the latest films and series, has the 16:9 widescreen as its default.
While it may not look like a huge problem from the outset, it turns out that this formatting error literally erased some of the show’s jokes.
One user on Twitter pointed out that in a season eight episode titled The Pothole, Netflix’s version actually cropped out the pothole itself, butchering the visual gag.
to emphasize, the titular pothole from the season 8 episode The Pothole is cropped out on Netflix https://t.co/gH4l5V8HfS pic.twitter.com/6G35eZQymW
— Brandon (spooky version) (@Thatoneguy64) October 1, 2021
This may have happened with other scenes in the series, with longtime fans of the show calling the streaming site’s version “unwatchable.”
Before it arrived on Netflix, the famed comedy had been showing on Hulu, which had also displayed the show in the 16:9 format. It probably only came to light with Netflix, considering how many viewers use the streaming service as compared to its competitors.
According to Engadget, such gaffes have happened before. In 2019, when Disney+ aired all the episodes of The Simpsons, viewers complained that the 16:9 aspect ratio cropped out the series’ jokes, too. The entire run was eventually released in its original 4:3 format.
Will Netflix opt to release Seinfeld in its original aspect ratio? Or will fans have to go through the series not knowing if they’re missing out on any visual jokes? With the buzz this has generated on social media, we’re guessing it’ll have to decide soon.
[via Engadget, cover image via Netflix]
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