A method and apparatus for achieving low-latency, and rapidly attained high-resolution, access reception for transmitted and received video data involving the pre-transmission dividing of a source video stream into two downstream-deliverable data streams that differ by, on the one hand, low-latency, low-resolution characteristics for one stream, and on the other hand, higher-latency, higher-resolution characteristics for the other stream. Latency in these streams is determined by the frame spacing created between stream-inserted marker I-frames. The divided streams are multiplexed and transmitted. At the receiving end, monitoring, selecting and video output-signal switching take place under rules whereby the first-encountered marker frame in either stream directs that stream to provide the first content for the video output signal. If the first-encountered marker resides in the higher-resolution stream, the process ends. If it is the lower-resolution stream, a switch to the higher-resolution stream takes place on detection of the next-encountered marker frame in the higher-resolution stream.