Brightness issues with CRT monitor

[Carnevil]

Hi, I own a ViewSonic A70 monitor, and am having trouble with the brightness, or lack thereof. It seems that the display on this monitor is significantly darker than most other monitors I've come in contact with (ESPECIALLY LCD's), despite the fact that I have both brightness and contrast set as high as they will go. This has become a severe issue lately, because there's times where I've been playing Doom 3, and literally can't see where I am or where I'm going due to it being so dark (and yes, I have the brightness all the way up). This also affects me when I try to make levels for other games; I'll create an area which I think is dark and has a great atmosphere, only to have it actually be quite bright on most other people's monitors, ruining the effect I was going for.

So, my questions are:

1). Are CRT's just fundamentally darker than LCD's?

2). If not, is there anything else I can do to brighten my display without buying a new LCD monitor?

3). If I pretty much DO have to buy a new LCD monitor, what's a good one for about $500?

Thanks

 

[Peter]

In general, CRTs are actually capable of producing a lot more brightness. However, they wear off. The cheaper, the faster.
You might also want to check whether the input signal voltage level is set correctly on this monitor. The right setting for modern graphics cards is 0.7V. Some monitors still have a 1.0V setting for older systems, and if this is active, your 0.7V signal will not achieve maximum brightness.