The Substitube is indistinguishable from the brightness of a normal fluorescent tube, but the downside of flickering eliminated when turning. The installation or replacement is just as easy as the installation of a normal fluorescent tube. The starter is replaced by a necessary ballast for LEDs (included) and the old fluorescent tube by this LED tube. For the life I can so far only say that no has failed. Ideal as a replacement in the basement or garage where it does not depend on the color of light so (otherwise they would not already installed fluorescent tubes there ...) But what was that before getting annoying with fluorescent tubes, if only briefly times ... and the part just is not acceptable.