A method and apparatus for displaying an image in a system having an image generation subsystem and an image display subsystem. The image generation subsystem provides digital data corresponding to the image and interrogates the image display subsystem to determine image display subsystem capabilities for at least one of (1) color format support, (2) access to an image display subsystem memory, and (3) window management. The image generation subsystem and the image display subsystem then process the digital data in accordance with the results of the interrogation. The image display subsystem then displays the processed digital data.