BetaScan is a special viewing feature that makes it possible during playback to scan quickly in forward and reverse to find a particular scene. The picture is accelerated but watchable as it quickly moves by. To perform this function, simply press the forward (FWD) or rewind (REW) buttons on the VCR or the remote. Releasing the buttons returns the machine to normal play. The ability to produce a recognizable picture in BetaScan varies depending on the machine and the speed at which the tape was recorded. For example, it might not be able to produce as good a picture with a tape recorded in as it does for one in . Beta VCRs were able to do this handy service almost from the very beginning. Called cue and review by some of the Betamakers it is possible because the tape stays in the tape path all of the time. VHS couldn't do this initially because their path had so many twists and turns in it that the tape would get shredded. Later on, the videotape was coated with a graphite backing to make it slippery, and their machines also began to slightly unload the tape. This made scanning possible for that format. It was clunky, but it worked almost as well. ©Misterßetamax go to homepage