Seeing as it’s Christmas;
Raymond Briggs’ “The Snowman” (1982) with original intro, 4:3 aspect ratio and instrumental “Walking in the Air”.
The Blu Ray, which is still great quality, is cropped to 16:9 and lacks any of the three intros. It does however include all 3 intros by Raymond Briggs, David Bowie and Mel Smith’s Father Christmas as a bonus feature in 1080i 4:3.
The original Briggs intro version has never been release in PAL on DVD or VHS, let alone Blu Ray, in the UK. It was released Australia in 2004 in it’s original form but the quality is not great, though still very watchable. This is the only PAL version I’ve been able to find.
It was released in the US on DVD (NTSC) in 1998 (along with the William Dennis Hunt re-voiced “Father Christmas”) and much better quality than the Australian DVD, but it is in NTSC and speed/pitch is slowed down.
“The Snowman” was repeated on Channel 4 in 1991 (first time I saw the film) and again in 1992.
The instrumental “Walking in the Air” was soon replaced with a vocal version by St Paul’s Cathedral choirboy Peter Auty. This version is most commonly used in any version you watch (Brigg’s/Bowie/Smith Intro version) and is the version included on the 1998 R1 NTSC DVD.
An Australian VHS recording of the original broadcast version has been uploaded here;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgcZAv4HAHM
Original Raymond Briggs Intro repeat broadcast from 1992;
https://tvark.org/?page=media&mediaid=112976
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNTMLM3yu4s
Apart from that, nearly every year between 1983 and 2002 it’s been the Bowie version. Then there was the 2002 16:9 version with the Mel Smith Father Christmas intro, but since Smiths passing in 2013, Channel 4 have reverted back to airing the 4:3 Bowie version. There’s always a chance the original will be shown again or even a 40th Anniversary 4K release in 2022.
Raymond Briggs’ “Father Christmas” (1991)
Only DVD exists, either stand-alone or double feature with “The Snowman” (1983 David Bowie Version). There’s a cropped 16:9 HD version available digitally, but no 4:3 HD version. The iTunes version does have an ac3 5.1 track however, and the picture zooms out back to 4:3 during the end credits.
Both films have aired in Channel 4 HD but they look like upscales to me.