Seinfeld fans complain that the new aspect ratio on Netflix cuts out original jokes

Viewers have said the series is ‘unwatchable’ due to the crop

Seinfeld fans in the US have complained that Netflix has cut many of the visual gags withs its aspect ratio.

All 180 episodes of the hit Nineties sitcom arrived on the streaming platform on Friday (1 October).

Viewers, however, were quick to notice that a number of the show’s jokes have been ruined due to Netflix’s aspect ratio that remasters the originals to a 16:9 dimension.

One notable example features in the season eight episode titled “The Pothole” in which the actual pothole the title references is cut out entirely from the screen.

“What’s the deal with the Seinfeld on Netflix aspect ratio?” quipped one user on Twitter, in a reference to Jerry Seinfeld’s typical opening gag on the series.

“SO, NETFLIX. YOU SPEND EIGHT SQUILLION ON SEINFELD AND THEN YOU SHOW IT IN THE WRONG RATIO,” wrote another.

A third person added: “Seinfeld’s in 16:9 on Netflix and is therefore unwatchable… bummer.”

“It’s psychotic to spend like $500 million on the streaming rights for Seinfeld and not show it in the right aspect ratio,” wrote one user.

“Ffs @netflix sort it out! With the amount of moolah you shelled out for Seinfeld the least you should do is screen it in the correct aspect ratio!” said someone else.

Some viewers compared it to the crop that Disney Plus applied to episodes of The Simpsons, which similarly cut out visual gags.

Responding to the backlash, however, the streamer later gave viewers the option to watch The Simpsons in the original aspect ratio of 4:3.

“After what went down with The Simpsons, and the amount they spent to secure the rights, it’s wild Netflix botched this,” added one person.

Another said: “Watching Seinfeld. The new aspect ratio feels a bit cramped but overall it’s not as big of a deal as it was for The Simpsons.”