Datastream Compression for IRAF Image Display

As CCD frames become larger and observatories consider remote observing as a way to cut costs in lean times, the issue of compressing images to shorten transfer times for remote display, minimize disk usage, and to facilitate quick-look previews is becoming increasingly important. We explore a number of image compression schemes in use today and their application to astronomical images. Preliminary results and a strategy for implementing datastream compression for remote image display within IRAF are also presented.