Peep Search (or BetaSkipScan) is feature available on many videocassette recorders and most camcorders, whereby the unit can show you what is on the tape during rewind and fast forward operations. For this feature to work seamlessly, the tape must be fully laced up (wrapped around the video heads) during rewind and fast-forward operation, which is not usually supported on VHS decks and therefore makes VHS almost the only video tape format where peep search is not usually available.
To make a distinction between peep search and normal picture search, consider the following operations:
Picture Search (or cue and review):
Peep Search:
On some models of equipment, the peep search is carried out at the full rewind or fast forward speed, but most slow the tape down to the picture search speed and actually perform a picture search operation.
Peep Search is available with all of the following video tape formats:
The following formats generally or always unlace during rewind and fast-forward operations and so are unable to carry out this function:
The following formats remain laced during rewind and fast-forward operations but the mechanisms did not allow for this feature:
The peep search function may go under differing names, or no name at all, with some manufacturers. Curiously, many manufacturers' instruction manuals make no mention of this feature, even when it is installed. The name was first used by Canon.