Network packet aware data encoding

A user endpoint device for data communication in a network, the user endpoint device comprising:

• a source of audio or video data;
• a data encoder coupled to the data source;
• and
• a data packetizer coupled to the data encoder to combine encoded data from the data encoder into a stream of network packets, the data packetizer operative to generate the network packets using information about inter-frame logical grouping or inter-frame dependencies to prevent inter-frame data packing within individual network packets;
• a network subsystem coupled to the data packetizer and operable to communicate the stream of network packets from the user endpoint device to a network.

A method comprising:

• at a communication device, generating a data stream;
• determining applicable framing information about frame structure of the generated data stream;
• determining network packet limitations or requirements for communicating data at the communication device;
• packetizing the generated data stream to form a plurality of network packets, using the determined network packet limitations or requirements, so that the network packets do not include data corresponding to more than one frame as defined by the applicable framing information;
• and
• communicating the network packets from the communication device.