JPEG 2000 is defined as an “image coding system”. The ISO/IEC specification describing it includes not only the syntax for a compressed image codestream (mime type “J2C”), but also a description of the binary “JP2” file format that may be used to enhance the utility of the codestream. Unlike many older compression algorithms, JPEG 2000 provides a great deal of flexibility in the way in which data may be stored in the codestream and retrieved from it. This flexibility allows for the progressive decompression of “layers” of the image with increasing resolution or precision. It also permits the extraction and decompression of only a portion or “tile” of the image. Specific portions of the image of particular interest to the intended audience may also be stored at the beginning of the codestream so that they may be accessed and decompressed first. (This would be of potential interest for approach images where the target of the observation fills only a small portion of the field of view.) All of the information necessary to successfully decompress a JPEG 2000 image is contained in the J2C codestream. However, the information necessary to take advantage of the additional capabilities is only available in the JP2 format.