A portable display device (10) includes an LCD display module (12) that includes an embedded still image buffer (16), and external processing circuitry (24) and associated processor memory (22), wherein the processor memory (22) receives decoded motion video (30) as pixel data from a video decoder (216), while the data from the embedded still image memory is displayed on an LCD display (14). When a completely decoded frame of video is stored in the memory, the processing circuitry (24) turns an external pixel transfer clock signal (19) on and transfers the decoded frame (21) from the memory (22) to the embedded image buffer (16) in the LCD display module (12). When the transfer of the decoded frame (21) is complete, an end of frame indication signal (236) is generated and the processing circuitry (24) turns off the external pixel transfer clock signal (19) to the LCD display module (12).