I went to one of those regional computer vendor shows where over a 100 vendors come there to bargain (sorta like a flea market but everything is new) and they have all kinds of hardware and software for sale, including all kinds of monitors running that you can check out and compare. Well I saw the Sony G400, KDS Avitar AV-195TF and the ViewSonic PF790. Supposedly these three monitors have the same picture tube (CRT), so I thought. The Sony looked wonderful indeed but the price was on up there around $500.
The KDS was around $300. One thing about the KDS is it seemed dark, not as bright as the Sony or the Viewsonic. So I looked at several other booths that had the KDS running and all had the same dark looking problem. Then there was one that seemed a little brighter, so I looked at its brightness setting on that particular KDS and the vendor had it jacked all the way up. Then there was a Sony rep out there who said that there are several grades of that Sony made CRT that are ultra flat square tubes, but that KDS did not have the higher grade. The G400 anf the PF790 have the higher grade.
As for the Viewsonic PF790, it was a tad bit over $400 and so I bought it. (this was about 2 months ago). Man I love that monitor, the price was right, the focus and sharpness are very good, and you don't even see those structure wires much at all unless you squint (2 tiny black horizontal lines on all Sony tubes of this type). Compared to the Sony, it is very close in sharpness, purity, focus, and edge to edge consistency, but you need to have them side by side to really notice the difference. I decided that the difference was not worth $100.