really the part i cut and posted was the only good off that thread, the main things are that the best reflectors have a crease down the center of the bulb and reflect out around the bulb, reflectors that reflect back through the bulb lost some of their brightness, however cheaper is always better when first starting. i have a magnetic ballast but i wish i had picked up a switchable digital, cause they allegedly run more quietly and with less heat, also pay attention to cord length cause some of them come with real short wires and some of them have cors that are permanently connected,
for an MH bulb look for sunmaster warm delux, if your going to do MH all the way through harvest.
I havent played with HPS yet so i hae no comment on specific bulbs, but the more different lights you have, the better