Quality priority image storage and communication

An image processing scheme that minimizes the amount of data required to process an input image signal but which maintains a guaranteed desired image quality level is disclosed. Transformation and quantification removes redundant data from the input image signal and provides a symbol set that is represented by a determined total data content. A peak data rate is determined from the total data content and any encoding overhead. The quality of image processing is determined based upon the transformation and quantification settings. Quality priority processing ensures that the available data rate is at least equal to the peak data rate. Transformation and quantification can be adjusted where a determination is made that the peak data rate exceeds the available data processing rate, or where the determined quality level does not exceed the selected quality level.