As far as the color thing there seems to be no standard between manufactures?
From what I've read it seems like sometimes there is not a standard within a manufacturer; color sometimes varies between the same bulbs by the same manufacturer. Add other variables like which ballast is used and the age of the bulbs and it almost seems like a craps shoot.

How long do the DE bulbs last on a electronic ballast vs hqi ballast? Are the reflectors better for the DE bulbs?