As a tool for studying and improving teaching, video offers tremendous learning opportunities. Videotaped lessons enable teachers to efficiently and effectively 'visit' classrooms not only in their own school, district or country, but also in other countries. Through observing and analysing videotaped lessons teachers can learn about real teaching alternatives as they are actually practised. As part of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 1999 Video Study, over 600 mathematics lessons from seven different countries were videotaped and analysed. This paper focuses on what Australian mathematics teachers can learn from the study, and in particular what can be learned through viewing and examining videotaped lessons from each country made publicly available. In addition, the paper describes the unique software environment used for distributing these public release lessons