A method of improving performance within video decoders subject to the execution of overlapped motion compensation. The method utilizes a triple-buffering approach to achieve rapid data transfers and to eliminate transfer and decoding delays. Each of the three buffers is sequentially utilized for (i) receipt of decoded macroblock data, (ii) insertion of additional decoded macroblock data from a subsequent decoding stage, and finally (iii) the transfer of the collected macroblock data to a transfer buffer. The method is applicable to a number of multiprocessing decoders, and is especially well suited for MPEG-4 and H.263 multiprocessing decoders.