There is provided a method of transporting error correction codes (ECCs) in a transmission stream, the method including encoding a data stream from a data source into data symbols, generating first ECCs from the data symbols, encoding the first ECCs into first error correction code (ECC) symbols, merging the data symbols and the first ECC symbols into the transmission stream, the first ECC symbols being merged before the data symbols into the transmission stream, and transmitting the merged transmission stream to a sink device via a communication link, the first ECC symbols being transmitted before the data symbols.