We have pixel perfect screenshots here. We all know this is not how games actually looked when they were current. TVs has scanlines and blur effects and even dedicated computer screens weren't much better. Games based on NTSC resolutions (e.g. everything including VGA) would actually be distorted to fit the screen.

What's your view? Should we keep on doing what we're doing or should we try something to emulate the actual look of yesterday?

I think not, cause the majority of people (including me) don't really mind the improved display quality, quite the contrary in fact. Also, i believe most people aren't curious to see how the games looked back on their native screens any more than how they look now actually, and modern screens are a blessing i have to say. I understand the ambition and yearning to provide a genuine antique exposition and thus make the place more unique, but come on.. you don't really want to change every last one of them screenshots to either blurred or scanlined unless you're planning to use some automatic script i'm ignorant of as a non-programmer.

While I would not go as far as editing each screenshot too (except, like Vagabond said, if there is an easy way out in form of a filter), I think it might be interesting in some cases or probably as an article, which puts different kinds of displays next to another, because the idea of showing how different the screens where back than is actually quite interesting.

Agreed, i had the same exact thing in mind, but then again the sole fact of its artificiality may be a little discouraging. I mean, are we going to pretend that it's a real photo or simply an applied effect? Saying it's an effect ruins everything, while saying nothing makes a bad shenanigan... My motto is to make it real even if noone could possibly ever tell. Dunno about you guys, but i'm definitely a bit of a snob on this one, or how you personally prefer to call it... elitist

Nope my 286 produced and produces nearly pixel perfect screens. And VGA screens are most times not distorted i used Harvard Graphics a lot when i was young and there was no distortion. By the way there where wheels to correct picture width and height.
On the other Hand you could try to use WebGL and some of retroarch filters to make pictures look old. Or simple hook an very old monitor up to your PC.

By the way has anybody seen the ShaderToy shader of the week:
https://www.shadertoy.com/view/XlBGz3

Of course I would not edit them all by hand I wouldn't even think of permanently changing them (i.e. destroying the original images). The only option would be to to have the site apply an automatic output filter.


That is exactly why they were distorted. A resolution factor of 1.6 (e.g. 320x200) on a physical 4:3 screen (factor 1.3333)…

Maybe you are right adjusting picture position and size seems only to be possible on some VGA monitors. Also it seems there is an adjustment for that in Knights of Xentar there you can choose 1x1 pixel ratio or 1x1.2 pixel ratio.