actually IBL/HDRI works like this...

1. download one of those pictures.

2. make a simple scene with a sphere (blinn - colour black/reflection 1.0.. just make a mirror shader basically.) on a poly plane (grey lambert).

3. go to mental ray in the render settings right down the bottom is enviroment> image based lighting. click it!

4. in the IBL attributes add the file you downloaded.

5. back in render settings just turn on final gather. (don't bother changing anything, not important for this)

6. hit render. if its a true HDRI (which i think they are from his site) it should be a nice ball bearing type thing.

I would try this, however its 4am and i'm on reception at my work. on what is probably the only computer in the building that doesn't have maya on it!