Abstract: A storage, retrieval, and transmission system is configured to provide fast, efficient telecommunication access to digitized images (e.g., medical diagnostic X-ray images) to multiple requesting subscribers. Image data are downloaded, via the telephone lines, to a remote display terminal as a plurality of portions of a compressed digital image representation. Data from a first transmitted portion is used to construct a displayable image at the terminal. Data from subsequently transmitted portions are combined with the displayable image data to provide an image with an improved resolution.