While this discussion won't settle the argument about the original aspect ratio, I hope it will at least put your mind at ease and you won't fear that the image will be cropped on the sides. As far as the quality of the picture goes, it's generally decent but not quite as solid as most of the other Disney animated features. Sharpness usually looks fairly precise, though the vagueness of much of the art lends the film a much more tentative look than usual. Some softness can be noted at times in wider shots, which seems partly but not wholly the fault of the drawings themselves. No moir effects appear, and jagged edges are minimal.
Colors are inconsistent.
For the most part, they appear clean and vivid, but at times they can look somewhat muddled and blotchy. Colors aren't a real problem with the film, but I simply felt they had some occasional weaknesses. Black levels are also a bit of a concern because some parts of the image seem darker than they should. Dark tones appear nicely deep, but the shadow detail can be weak. Despite these issues, the overall quality of The Aristocats seems pretty good, if not quite on a par with some of the stunning images found on other Disney animated DVDs.