I see here in Norway the listed shows are shown in HD (16:9) also there are blu-ray versions available too. Are these shows recorded in HD or is it just reformatted to fit a 16:9 screen? The DVD versions I got from those shows are in 4:3

Maybe I didn't explain it correctly. Friends are shown in 4:3 in all 10 seasons, but in the later years they are shown as HD and Full 16:9. So are the shows recorded all in 4:3 or 16:9 originally? and formatted to 4:3 in the 90's and reshown in full 16:9 in 2014?

No... I seen many first run airing in widescreen (when they originally aired on TV). It switched over to widescreen (original airing) sometime about half way through the series.

Quoting Addicted2DVD:

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No... I seen many first run airing in widescreen (when they originally aired on TV). It switched over to widescreen (original airing) sometime about half way through the series.

Maybe with later seasons of Friends, but I think most, if not all of Seinfeld was originally broadcast 4x3, as Seinfeld was always shot in 4-perf Academy 35mm negative (4x3).

Friends, was shot in 3-perf Super 35mm. With Super 35 (a production only format) any aspect ratio can be achieved. The problem in remastering shows from that era is, often the camera operators shoot off sets or show details that shouldn't be in the frame, since they were optimizing the frame for regular 1.33 TV (4x3). When that happens, they usually blow up the image to fix that one shot, and then go back to normal once the camera operator frames the shot correctly.  For a lot of these shows, there's a lot of extra area on the left and right, since the framing was always intended to keep all the important information in the center 4x3 area.

Super 35 3-perf shows won't be nearly as much of a visual compromise when and if they get remastered for 16x9. But everything made prior to the mid 1990s will have to be reframed, unless they opt to just pillarbox it and have the 4x3 in the center. Some studios resist this for television shows, and are demanding some kind of tilt & scan in order to blow up 4x3 shows for 16x9.

Edit :

Here's a found image that illustrates the point: the original 4x3 image as framed by the DP and originally broadcast, and the reformatted for HD 16x9 image....a bit more on the sides, a lot less top/bottom. The composition/framing is no longer the DoPs but that of some lab tech.

Here is on of the shots I was talking about:

Above the 16:9 UK version.

Below the original 4:3 format from the US version.

Quoting DJ Doena:

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In regards to Friends: As far as I know the Blu-ray also comes only with the shortened Syndication version (at least in Europe). Can anyone confirm this?

I have the US version, and am rewatching them all with my daughter.  We are in Season 4, and they appear as far as I know to be the broadcast versions.  It looks good in the 16x9 format, I haven't noticed any awkward framing issues that would make me think it should have been 4x3.  I snagged it for $80 just before Christmas.

From the thread at blu-ray.com, from the press release announcing the release:

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BURBANK, CA (June 19, 2012) – Just in time for holiday gift giving, Warner Home Video will release for the first time ever Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray on November 13, 2012. This ultimate collector’s set for the ultimate fan features over 110 hours of content – including all 236 original broadcast episodes released for the first time in the US, plus 20 hours of special features including over three hours of newly-added special features. New content includes a retrospective documentary with new interviews looking back at the influential 10 years of the series, never-before-released cast appearances, unaired footage, a new gag reel and more! All 10 seasons have been completely remastered in stunning 1080p high definition video with a 16×9 widescreen format and 5.1 audio. The Friends: Complete Series Blu-ray box set is presented in highly collectible new packaging consisting of a lenticular box cover, a hard-cover book that holds 21 Blu-ray discs, plus a 32-page episode guide. Friends: The Complete Series Blu-ray is priced to own at $279.98 SRP.

I'm referring to this issue and since I only know Friends from DVD (never watched it on German TV) I'm probably going to notice the missing pieces of the "extended versions".

I'm probably going to stick with my US DVD release. I have two complete sets already anyway.

in spirit of this topic .. I'll offer what I am familiar with in my DVD collection is the 9 seasons of Everybody Loves Raymond .. season 1 1996  to season 4 is all 4:3 .., but starting with Season 5 to 9 (2001) my set then is 16 x 9 ..  ..
..Noticing that my FOX HD TV station out of New York broadcasts this situation comedy series on a nightly routine running thru every episode from season 1- 9  in approx sequence .. 

Well Imagine my surprise to see my favorite episodes from the first odd 80 episodes in full HD and I didn't have the feeling of seeing tis  being 'blown up' to fit the widescreen .. So I checked into this and found that for these TV episodes they were all upgraded to HiDef ..,  but there are no plans to replace the existing standard dvd set ..  but will use this saved  format for any new release of bluray  of which there is none at this time ..