Can MediaPeek Inspect Files Inside ZIP and TAR Archives?

Updated

Yes. MediaPeek can look inside ZIP and TAR archives without extracting the full file, and it keeps the archive name visible so you can tell which archive a given filename came from. This applies to ZIP archives using Stored or DEFLATE compression and to standard TAR archives, including those that use @LongLink entries for long filenames.

What archive support actually covers

MediaPeek's archive handling is built for inspecting media metadata, not for unpacking files to disk. The site describes it as looking inside archives "without extracting the full file," which means you get metadata for the media entries inside the archive while the archive itself stays intact.

Capability What it means in practice
ZIP (Stored, DEFLATE) Reads entries in uncompressed and DEFLATE-compressed ZIP archives
TAR (standard + @LongLink) Reads standard TAR archives, including long filenames stored via @LongLink
Archive → filename context The archive name stays visible alongside each filename, so you know where a file came from
No full extraction You don't need to download or unpack the whole archive to see metadata

How the inspection works

MediaPeek fetches only the bytes it needs from a URL using byte-range HTTP requests, so even large files don't require a full download. Metadata parsing runs in WebAssembly via mediainfo.js (v0.3.7), a port of MediaInfoLib (v25.10). For archives, that same partial-fetch approach lets it read archive structure and entry data rather than pulling the entire file.

The practical flow is:

  1. Provide a URL to a media file or archive. Supported sources are HTTP/HTTPS URLs and public Google Drive files and folders.
  2. MediaPeek issues byte-range requests to read only the necessary portions.
  3. The metadata engine parses the result in your browser via WebAssembly.
  4. You see metadata for the media, with the archive name preserved as context for entries inside ZIP or TAR files.

When this is useful

Archive inspection helps when media is packaged rather than loose. For example, if you have a ZIP of video files from a delivery and want to check resolution, codec, or HDR badges before unpacking, MediaPeek can read the entries and show their metadata while keeping the archive name attached. The same applies to TAR archives, including those with long filenames handled through @LongLink.

Limits to keep in mind

  • Only ZIP (Stored, DEFLATE) and TAR (standard + @LongLink) are listed as supported archive formats. Other compression schemes aren't described.
  • Sources are limited to HTTP/HTTPS URLs and public Google Drive files and folders.
  • The tool inspects metadata; it doesn't present itself as a general-purpose extractor.

Sharing and exports

Results can be exported as Object JSON, Text, HTML, or XML. Sharing uses encrypted links via PrivateBin: MediaPeek doesn't store the content, and the key stays in the URL. Badge assets for formats like SD, HD, 4K, HDR, and audio labels come from Apple TV and Apple Music, and MediaPeek is open source with its repository on GitHub.