Abstract: Active control of the output bit-rate of a system of constant bit-rate encoders is provided to match their aggregate bit-rate to the available network bit-rate of a communication channel over which a packetized data stream is to be transmitted. Cross-layer optimization is achieved between network layer performance metrics, such as queue size, round-trip-time delay, and available bit-rate, and application layer requirements of the data encoders, such as output bit-rate, input frame-rate, and packet loss, through a tight coupling of these parameters. Complex run-time calculations or heavy network probing are avoided while achieving the beneficial results, which is advantageous in systems that deal with real-time applications, such as live video streaming for video surveillance and security.