The original shorts were animated in the Academy ratio (1.37:1). When broadcast on modern HD widescreens, channels often zoom and crop the image, cutting off Tom’s head or Jerry’s tail. The archival work being done today involves creating "open matte" transfers that allow modern viewers to see the full frame, including the empty space at the top where anvils drop from.
The original shorts were animated in the Academy ratio (1.37:1). When broadcast on modern HD widescreens, channels often zoom and crop the image, cutting off Tom’s head or Jerry’s tail. The archival work being done today involves creating "open matte" transfers that allow modern viewers to see the full frame, including the empty space at the top where anvils drop from.