jps1006:
I don't specifically know what the T8's look like, so I can't say. But if they are just chopping the 60 Hz waveform at 400 Hz, then the 60 Hz up and down effect will still be there, and it will still be a problem. You'd have to conver to DC then to 400 Hz for the visual problem to go away. I suspect I won't be affected visually by 400 Hz. Audible might be another issue.
As for HID ... the more it tries to render white, the worse the problem might be due to the variation of color over time. I know that the more white lighting in grocery stores bothers me; I have to limit my shopping time to at most a half hour to avoid a headache. Lights that are not (trying to be) white are actually less bothersome. I can deal with the yellowish HPS lights just fine. The poor color rendering might be ugly (I wouldn't want that in my home at all), but I believe it actually compensates for the problems. My own theory is that a single color would not be a problem in this regard. I do know that in my teen and pre-teen years, lighting my room with a single color was always "comfortable".
