International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 30-November 02, 1995 / Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada / Video compression is typically required to solve the bandwidth problems related to the transmission of instrumentation video. The use of color systems typically results in bandwidth requirements beyond the capabilities of current receiving and recording equipment. The HORACE specification, IRIG-210, was introduced as an attempt to provide standardization between government test ranges. The specification provides for video compression in order to alleviate the bandwidth problems associated with instrumentation video and is intended to assure compatibility, data quality, and performance of instrumentation video systems. This paper provides an overview of compression methods available for instrumentation video and summarizes the benefits of each method and the problems associated with different compression methods when utilized for instrumentation video. The affects of increased data link bit error rates are also discussed for each compression method. This paper also includes a synopsis of the current HORACE specification, a proposed Vector HORACE specification for color images and hardware being developed to meet both specifications.