Not much else to say, really. Went crash bang owww down the steps and that was it..! It's slowly getting better, we're back home tomorrow, so a couple of days bed rest with an ice pack will help.

A programmable electronic starter, maybe..? 

Here is an archive of the website: https://web.archive.org/web/20131126232859/http://smartstarter.eu/smart_idea.html
I don't see how it would work, as starters are normally open switches.

Better to use a mogul E39 based lamp. What kind of HID is it? Did you post any pictures?

No, but I may later

That video is 12 years old, the link in its description goes nowhere, so I don't know. I've never heard of it, anyway.

I heard from a street light lineman that the Chinese EYE mercury lamps go dim after 2-3 years, which is unfortunate. There are two strip malls with mercury downlights near me with Japanese EYE lamps and many were already there when I moved here in 2007, still going strong.

Today I found a pl-s 11w blb box from the same brand, and same warning!
This time they remembered the bracket!

Today, I got the rest of the lamps from the shop. My first circlines !!!
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@wide-lite 1000
I've experienced this too, only a few comments for over a dozen pictures, not even on the interesting ones!
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Did this starter exist or is it a scam/joke?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLDfj4i7TJY

Could it be a mall? definitely looks like a mall