1. For use with a digitized image processing system including a digital data base, a method for controlling the manner in which a digitized image is read from the data base for display and manipulation, said method comprising the steps of: (a) generating a data base for storing a plurality of image data files containing digitized image data representing a plurality of images; (b) selectively reading the image data from the image data files for display and manipulation in response to user commands; (c) generating a single video index code in association with each image, said single video index code having a first value when the image is to be manipulated as per a user command and a second value in the absence of manipulation; (d) providing a signal processing circuit for controllably processing said digitized image; and (e) causing said signal processing circuit to process said digitized image in accordance with a first signal processing mechanism in response to said video index code having said first value, and causing said signal processing circuit to process said digitized image in accordance with a second signal processing mechanism in response to said video index code having said second value.