They aren't HID bulbs. HID stands for High Intensity Discharge, something that uses ballasts and as already described. It uses electrical energy to jump a gap like a spark plug, but uses the voltage to produce a light. What your describing sounds like the blue or yellow or purple headlights you can buy on ebay for like 30 bucks for two. Those lights are more for show. If it says it uses a higher voltage than 55watts stay away. The heat generation casues the small filament to melt or heat up and when it cools it cracks and then that causes the filament to break and then goes the light.

If you want that effect get some Silvania silverstars or Silvania ultra's. They are great lights and i love them. Silverstars are about 40 or 50 bucks a pair and are more than enough to produce more light than a regular halogen. They aren't HID's though, just higher powered halogen's. There's also Xenon gas bulbs but i've never used those. Sounds like another knock off of an HID system.

Check out www.howstuffworks.com and look up HID if your really curious what the difference is.