A sensor data processing apparatus can be coupled to multiple image sensors of different types. The apparatus encodes symbology metadata in metadata space of image frames and maintains raw data from the sensors in the frames. The symbology metadata identifies a type of symbol that can be overlaid on the frame along with a location in the frame that identifies where the symbol can be overlaid. The apparatus transports the frames including the symbology metadata to an output path without overlaying symbology onto the raw data in the frames. Post processing can be performed to selectively overlay symbology in the image of a corresponding frame based on the symbology metadata.