Yesterday (August 5, 2008), I found 3 Alto tubes which they seem not burnt out, but more mercury starved (absolutely NO blackening). Will one of them start alone on a 2 lamp ballast?

Umm probably..unless the ballast is series RS, and just a warning! Those Philips ALTOS are ballast killers! Keep an eye on the heat of the ballast otherwise you may kill the ballast!

Oh don't worry, I use a Universal ballast which it does have an auto-reset thermal protection. These murders won't have this one!