Well, the World Championships have kicked off with Germany taking care of Brazil 27-22 in a casual fashion. Brazil was able to hang around and keep the score respectable, but also couldn’t mount a successful run to make it a little more interesting.

But, more importantly let’s talk about the VideoSport live stream http://www.videosport.com/ihf2007/ of the match that is available in most locations world-wide. This isn’t the first time Handball has been live streamed on the internet, but after watching this match I can easily say it’s the best I’ve ever seen and heard.

Video: The screen is the typical small box you’ve probably seen before and can’t be increased to a larger size (at least I couldn’t figure out how to). Two bit rates 350 Kb/sec and 750 Kb/sec are offered. The 750 Kb/sec provides a pretty constant stream and the 350 Kb/sec isn’t too bad either. The stream and clarity at 750 is clearly better than you get at many sites like you tube. I did, however, have a few dropouts which was a little annoying. The actual feed is the same that is being provided world-wide and the multiple camera angles are great, particularly the overhead shots.

Audio: English language commentary! Paul Bray does a pretty good job for a one man show. It would be nice to have a two man team, but it’s great to hear commentary in a language I’m fully fluent in.

Bottom Line: OK, it’s not the same as a High Definition picture on a 42 inch Plasma screen, but this is the best on-line sports stream I've ever seen. With the ability to switch between games, the next 3 days are going to be awesome! Is it worth 19.99 Euros? Are you kidding? Don’t even call yourself a Handball fan if you can’t find the change to purchase the 92 game option.