Welcome to our forum.
The brighter the light, the farther the distance. Simple physics right? Changing to Xenon's gives the greatest distance and they have to be adjusted so as to not shine in oncoming traffic view. However, they also REQUIRE additional components most standard wiring systems do not have natively. If you drive a car with this system, you will see a definite line (bright against darkest) and the light generally has a blueish tint. Yes, the silver stars can generally be used in the same bulb receptor and will be slightly brighter and often white-er. They do draw more energy but not enough to require an additional ballast. A number of the car shops (AutoZone, pep boys, etc) have blue-tinted light but they really don't provide the Xenon distance. It's just a cheap way for "kids" (16-25 year olds) to make their cars seem more important than they really are. Almost every car I have had for the past 8 years has had Xenon's as a stock component but my wife's SUVs have often been simply halogen's and since they ride higher, that is really all that was really needed on hers.