In another embodiment, the present invention is implemented as computer storage media storing computer executable instructions which when executed on a client terminal implement a remote display protocol client that is configured to perform a method that includes: establishing a remote display protocol connection with a remote display protocol service that executes on a remote session host; establishing a virtual channel within the remote display protocol connection for transferring a video bitstream from an encoder of the remote display protocol service to a decoder of the remote display protocol client; processing, by the decoder, the video bitstream to detect the occurrence of an error in the video bitstream; when an error is detected, modifying, by the decoder, the video bitstream; and in response to detecting the modification to the video bitstream, sending, by the remote display protocol client, a request for a key frame over the remote display protocol connection.

In another embodiment, the present invention is implemented by a remote display protocol client as a method for processing a video bitstream. The video bitstream is received over a virtual channel encapsulated in a remote display protocol connection. Slices are then extracted from the video bitstream. A slice header of each extracted slice is evaluated. In response to detecting an error in a first slice, a slice_id in the slice header of the first slice is set to an invalid value. Upon detecting that the first slice has a slice_id with an invalid value, the remote display protocol client sends a request that a key frame be transmitted as part of the video bitstream that is received over the virtual channel. The request being is over the remote display protocol connection that encapsulates the virtual channel.