Having the elements to recomposite (unlike TOS) probably helped. Especially since they had to reconform the episodes anyways.I'm anxious for the 24 minute documentary on the making of the bluray It'll show how they made the decision to recomposite instead of re-doing the FX wholesale.
If they had final cuts on film (like TOS), or if they had lost the source materials (like TOS), I have no doubt that TNG would have received the same treatment as TOS.
I think that's a given, and something not taken into consideration at all by the "purists".