After watching "Playback" again last night, I can cite the entire process for the payoff clue as out and out science-fiction. You can not bring out clarity of detail of objects on a videotape (or film for that matter) by "zooming in". This is a cliche I would note that predates "Columbo" and was used as early as the late 1940s movie "Call Northside 777" (with a photograph) but the simple fact is that's not what happens when you enlarge something, whether photo or film and certainly not videotape where you can't improve the original resolution.