An edge server communicates with a client in a local network. The client displays a remote desktop image representative of a virtual desk image generated by a virtual desktop server (VDS). The edge server receives from the VDS a desktop image to be displayed on the remote desktop. The desktop image includes an incomplete window in which graphic media, such as video, is to be displayed. The edge server determines communication link conditions in the local network and a corresponding transmit data rate at which to transmit data to the client device and a suitable encoding rate at which the graphic media is encoded. The edge server downloads the graphic media from the content server, merges the downloaded graphic media into the incomplete area to produce a completed desktop image, and transmits the completed desktop image at the determined transmit data rate for display on the remote desktop.