A method of transmitting a plurality of frames of image data over a communications channel from a display image source to a display device is disclosed, wherein the plurality of frames of image data are transferred on a frame-by-frame basis at a predetermined time interval. The method includes encoding at least a portion of a selected frame of image data via hierarchical encoding to form a hierarchically encoded set of image data layers, and sending only a subset of the set of image data layers over the communications channel, wherein the subset of image data layers includes fewer image data layers than the set of image data layers.