Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony CPD-G400 19" CRT Monitor

The CPD-G400 incorporates Sony's new FD Trinitron technology, offering truly impressive picture quality. Specs and price alone sell this amazing monitor. Picture it a 19in monitor, 18 in viewable, with .25mm dot pitch and supports resolutions up to 1800 x 1440. The G400 is beautiful completely flat and I would buy two if I had the room. As a final note, purchase the monitor you won't regret. Nothing is better for the price.

I have had many monitors over the years, but this one by far is the best. I sit down in front of my computer, and the monitor awakens from being in power save mode. Within seconds my desktop appears - crystal clear, extremely sharp, and with room to spare.

Some may question.. why buy a Sony? I have seen other 19" monitors from ViewSonic, Hitachi, CRT, etc.. but nothing compares to the quality of Sony. Its more than the name brand... this monitor doesn't have any blurry areas, have issues with power saving, nor do my eyes get tired of looking at it.

Why 19"? I am viewing a ViewSonic 17" monitor which I can only squeeze about two applications on the screen at once. With 19" I can watch DVD movies on my computer any problems, have 3+ applications visible, and my eyes dont hurt after viewing the screen for extended periods.

Features... Once again the Sony has mastered this area as well. If you want the visible part of the monitor to actually take up the entire area, then just push in the screen control. From there go to the width options then it will automatically stretch the screen or condense it accordingly. Ive spent so much time trying to properly adjust my previous monitors because they just didn't take up the entire area, now this one figures it out perfectly. It has all of the other standard features for adjustment as well - width, height, degauss, moire, etc.

This was a great investment that I made, and I am quite happy with my purchase.

I've spent weeks examining every high-end 19" monitor I could get my hands on. I've talked to the manufacturers directly, I've poured over Internet reviews, I've put monitors on several different machines with different video cards in different lighting situations, etc, etc, etc...

The only thing I don't understand is why there's even any question which is the best! Sony is without a doubt better than NEC, Mitsubishi, LG, etc, etc... All aperture-grille monitors have problems with vertical "smudginess" on fine text detail, but Sony's is so minimal it's unnoticeable. All other monitors were very blurry and fuzzy compared to the text clarity on the Sony. Also the colors are uniform, saturated, and "silky" compared to other monitors - especially shadow mask monitors.

What's not to like? Three thumbs up!

My beloved six year old NEC 21" monitor was finally giving up the ghost. We had spent so much quality time together. It started with me in a Mac only environment. It moved with me to PC and Unix machines. I dreaded the task of finding another display with the same quality, and doing so on a budget much smaller than the one six years ago.

After a few weeks with the G400 I'm now thrilled that the old monitor is gone. Yes, it's a 19", not a 21"... I can't tell. The higher scan rates and overall quality makes for a much sharper display at screen resolutions higher than I would ever attempt on my late monitor. Screen flicker is modest at even high resolutions (1600x1200)

The truly flat display tube was a bit odd a first. Having worked with curves screens all my life I'd adapted to their distortions. The display is crisp and flat to the very edges of the tube. Now, going back to standard curved displays is jarring.

The video control (centering, contrast, brightness, etc.) takes some experimentation and is probably the weakest piece of plastic on the monitor. But after your initial setup you shouldn't need to use it often.

Since I work with multiple machines the dual video inputs with a switch located on the front of the display was a big plus. The machine also includes a Mac adapter. Note: the monitor comes with one video cable. If you're attaching another machine (PC or Mac) you will need another.

Anyone planning on a 21" display might wish to consider saving themselves a significant amount of money with the G400. Because size isn't everything. :)

You're going crazy trying to find the right monitor, you've looked around, compared prices, you're trying to narrow down the search, and you don't want to make a mistake and spend hundreds of dollars only to buy the wrong monitor...right?

That was me until I found this monitor.

It's crisp, it's clear, it has bright, vibrant colors, and it's a Sony. Text looks good. Graphics are clear and crisp. Games look awesome. DVD blows me away. In three words, I love it. I found the right monitor, and now I can relax.

But you've heard or read that before, and now you're wondering, why get the G400 when the E400 is cheaper? As far as I can tell, here's the difference: G400 has a "recommeded resolution" of 1600 X 1200 at 85hz, not so for the E400. This thing also supports 2 computers, with a front switch letting you go from one to the other. And it also has a function to reset the screen to original factory specifications, which ensures a longer life. That's the difference, now you know.

So if you don't mind the trinitron lines (I'm one of those who doesn't, but I don't know about you...) and you want a reasonably priced... all-around-high-quality-monitor, it's pretty hard to go wrong with the G400.