WHAT IS HID?
HID stands for High Intensity Discharge. It refers to lighting technology that relies on an electrical charge to ignite xenon gas contained in a sealed bulb. The technology of HID automotive lamps is similar to that of common vapor-filled street lamps. HID lighting doesn't have a filament but instead creates light by igniting an arc between two electrodes. HID lights get their name from the intense white light produced by the electrical discharge. HID lamps are also called xenon lamps, referring to a gas inside the lamps. HID general lighting has been used for years in sports arenas and stadiums around the country.

WHAT MAKES HID DIFFERENT?
HID lighting provides about three times the light output of standard halogen headlights while using less energy. HID lights are designed to last up to ten times longer than standard halogen lamps. The graphic depicts the performance levels of standard HID (4100K) versus standard halogen light in a low beam application.

WHAT ABOUT HID's COLOR?
Whiteness, associated with color temperature, is the color appearance of a light, measured in degrees Kelvin (K). Natural daylight at noon has a color temperature of 4870K. High intensity discharge (HID) lights have a color temperature of 4100K. In contrast, standard halogen headlights are only about 3200K and have a more yellow appearance. The two ends to the specific spectrum are yellow and blue, the higher the color temperature, the closer to blue. This is why lights that are high in color, such as HID, are percieved as blue, they are actually just less yellow.

BRIGHTNESS
Brightness, associated with luminance, is the amount of light reflected in a particular direction. Luminance is different from lumen (the basic measure of light output). The definition of luminance is the amount of visible light on a point on a surface in a given direction or increased light in the most important spots on the road while driving. Higher Luminance is achieved through increased control of the filament and, overall, control of the light coming off of the filament. Light output (lumens) isn't increased but the light is made more useful.