1. A method for performing data compression in a digital video encoder, wherein the discrete cosine transform and weighting functions are combined, the method comprising the steps performed by a processor of: receiving a plurality of input components representing pixel information of an image; determining a first group of intermediate values by combining subsets of the input components; determining a second group of intermediate values by combining a first subset of the inputer components and the first group of intermediate values; determining a third group of intermediate values by combining a second subset of the input components and the first and second group of intermediate values with a first set of predetermined constants, each predetermined constant being a function of discrete cosine coefficients and digital video weighting constants; determining a fourth group of intermediate values by combining a third subset of the input components and the first, second, and third groups of intermediate values; determining a fifth group of intermediate values by combining a fourth subset of the input components and the first, second, third, and fourth groups of intermediate values with a second set predetermined constants, each predetermined constant being a function of discrete cosine coefficients and digital video weighting constants; determining a sixth group of intermediate values by combining a fifth subset of the input components and the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth groups of intermediate values; determining a seventh group of intermediate values by combining a sixth subset of the input components and the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth groups of intermediate values with a third set of predetermined constants, each predetermined constant being a function of discrete cosine coefficients and digital video weighting constants; determining an eighth group of intermediate values by combining a seventh subset of the input components and the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh groups of intermediate values; determining output components by combining an eighth subset of the input components and the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth groups of intermediate values with a fourth set of predetermined constants, each predetermined constant being a function of discrete cosine coefficients and digital video weighting constants; and, supplying the output components to an output terminal as weighted, compressed digital representations of an image.