In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a system and method for transporting an ancillary data packet in the active area of a video stream are provided. In particular embodiments of the present invention, the method includes coupling a playback server and a digital video projector with a DVI link; placing an ancillary data packet of link encryption metadata in a false line of video in an active area of a frame of video at the playback server, a remainder of the active area comprising true lines of video; transmitting the ancillary data packet from the playback server to a digital video projector through the DVI link; extracting the ancillary data packet from the frame of video at the digital video projector; and displaying the remainder of the active area of the frame of video at the digital video projector.