diff --git a/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssdemux.c b/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssdemux.c
index 22bfdc7aca..cb6cde3e23 100644
--- a/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssdemux.c
+++ b/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssdemux.c
@@ -42,6 +42,16 @@
 
 GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (mssdemux_debug);
 
+#define DEFAULT_CONNECTION_SPEED 0
+
+enum
+{
+  PROP_0,
+
+  PROP_CONNECTION_SPEED,
+  PROP_LAST
+};
+
 static GstStaticPadTemplate gst_mss_demux_sink_template =
 GST_STATIC_PAD_TEMPLATE ("sink",
     GST_PAD_SINK,
@@ -64,8 +74,12 @@ GST_STATIC_PAD_TEMPLATE ("audio_%02u",
 GST_BOILERPLATE (GstMssDemux, gst_mss_demux, GstMssDemux, GST_TYPE_ELEMENT);
 
 static void gst_mss_demux_dispose (GObject * object);
-static GstStateChangeReturn
-gst_mss_demux_change_state (GstElement * element, GstStateChange transition);
+static void gst_mss_demux_set_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
+    const GValue * value, GParamSpec * pspec);
+static void gst_mss_demux_get_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
+    GValue * value, GParamSpec * pspec);
+static GstStateChangeReturn gst_mss_demux_change_state (GstElement * element,
+    GstStateChange transition);
 static GstFlowReturn gst_mss_demux_chain (GstPad * pad, GstBuffer * buffer);
 static GstFlowReturn gst_mss_demux_event (GstPad * pad, GstEvent * event);
 
@@ -106,6 +120,14 @@ gst_mss_demux_class_init (GstMssDemuxClass * klass)
   parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent (klass);
 
   gobject_class->dispose = gst_mss_demux_dispose;
+  gobject_class->set_property = gst_mss_demux_set_property;
+  gobject_class->get_property = gst_mss_demux_get_property;
+
+  g_object_class_install_property (gobject_class, PROP_CONNECTION_SPEED,
+      g_param_spec_uint64 ("connection-speed", "Connection Speed",
+          "Network connection speed in kbps (0 = unknown)",
+          0, G_MAXUINT64 / 1000, DEFAULT_CONNECTION_SPEED,
+          G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
 
   gstelement_class->change_state =
       GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_mss_demux_change_state);
@@ -216,6 +238,38 @@ gst_mss_demux_dispose (GObject * object)
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->dispose (object);
 }
 
+static void
+gst_mss_demux_set_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
+    const GValue * value, GParamSpec * pspec)
+{
+  GstMssDemux *mssdemux = GST_MSS_DEMUX (object);
+
+  switch (prop_id) {
+    case PROP_CONNECTION_SPEED:
+      mssdemux->connection_speed = g_value_get_uint (value) * 1000;
+      break;
+    default:
+      G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
+      break;
+  }
+}
+
+static void
+gst_mss_demux_get_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id, GValue * value,
+    GParamSpec * pspec)
+{
+  GstMssDemux *mssdemux = GST_MSS_DEMUX (object);
+
+  switch (prop_id) {
+    case PROP_CONNECTION_SPEED:
+      g_value_set_uint (value, mssdemux->connection_speed / 1000);
+      break;
+    default:
+      G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
+      break;
+  }
+}
+
 static GstStateChangeReturn
 gst_mss_demux_change_state (GstElement * element, GstStateChange transition)
 {
@@ -532,6 +586,10 @@ gst_mss_demux_create_streams (GstMssDemux * mssdemux)
     gst_mss_stream_set_active (manifeststream, TRUE);
     mssdemux->streams = g_slist_append (mssdemux->streams, stream);
   }
+
+  /* select initial bitrates */
+  gst_mss_manifest_change_bitrate (mssdemux->manifest,
+      mssdemux->connection_speed);
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssdemux.h b/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssdemux.h
index 9dee169e88..54d87f9f94 100644
--- a/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssdemux.h
+++ b/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssdemux.h
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ struct _GstMssDemux {
   guint n_videos;
   guint n_audios;
 
+  /* properties */
+  guint64 connection_speed; /* in bps */
 };
 
 struct _GstMssDemuxClass {
diff --git a/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssmanifest.c b/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssmanifest.c
index 71fd576a26..0659164564 100644
--- a/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssmanifest.c
+++ b/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssmanifest.c
@@ -754,3 +754,98 @@ gst_mss_stream_seek (GstMssStream * stream, guint64 time)
 
   return TRUE;
 }
+
+guint64
+gst_mss_manifest_get_current_bitrate (GstMssManifest * manifest)
+{
+  guint64 bitrate = 0;
+  GSList *iter;
+
+  for (iter = gst_mss_manifest_get_streams (manifest); iter;
+      iter = g_slist_next (iter)) {
+    GstMssStream *stream = iter->data;
+    if (stream->active && stream->current_quality) {
+      GstMssStreamQuality *q = stream->current_quality->data;
+
+      bitrate += q->bitrate;
+    }
+  }
+
+  return bitrate;
+}
+
+static gboolean
+gst_mss_stream_select_bitrate (GstMssStream * stream, guint64 bitrate)
+{
+  GList *iter = stream->current_quality;
+  GList *next;
+  GstMssStreamQuality *q = iter->data;
+
+  while (q->bitrate > bitrate) {
+    next = g_list_previous (iter);
+    if (next) {
+      iter = next;
+      q = iter->data;
+    } else {
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  while (q->bitrate < bitrate) {
+    GstMssStreamQuality *next_q;
+    next = g_list_next (iter);
+    if (next) {
+      next_q = next->data;
+      if (next_q->bitrate < bitrate) {
+        iter = next;
+        q = iter->data;
+      } else {
+        break;
+      }
+    } else {
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (iter == stream->current_quality)
+    return FALSE;
+  stream->current_quality = iter;
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
+/**
+ * gst_mss_manifest_change_bitrate:
+ * @manifest: the manifest
+ * @bitrate: the maximum bitrate to use (bps)
+ *
+ * Iterates over the active streams and changes their bitrates to the maximum
+ * value so that the bitrates of all streams are not larger than
+ * @bitrate.
+ *
+ * Return: %TRUE if any stream changed its bitrate
+ */
+gboolean
+gst_mss_manifest_change_bitrate (GstMssManifest * manifest, guint64 bitrate)
+{
+  gboolean ret = FALSE;
+  GSList *iter;
+
+  /* TODO This algorithm currently sets the same bitrate for all streams,
+   * it should actually use the sum of all streams bitrates to compare to
+   * the target value */
+
+  if (bitrate == 0) {
+    /* use maximum */
+    bitrate = G_MAXUINT64;
+  }
+
+  for (iter = gst_mss_manifest_get_streams (manifest); iter;
+      iter = g_slist_next (iter)) {
+    GstMssStream *stream = iter->data;
+    if (stream->active) {
+      ret = ret | gst_mss_stream_select_bitrate (stream, bitrate);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return ret;
+}
diff --git a/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssmanifest.h b/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssmanifest.h
index 6abb4e9fac..796130a746 100644
--- a/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssmanifest.h
+++ b/ext/smoothstreaming/gstmssmanifest.h
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ guint64 gst_mss_manifest_get_timescale (GstMssManifest * manifest);
 guint64 gst_mss_manifest_get_duration (GstMssManifest * manifest);
 GstClockTime gst_mss_manifest_get_gst_duration (GstMssManifest * manifest);
 gboolean gst_mss_manifest_seek (GstMssManifest * manifest, guint64 time);
+gboolean gst_mss_manifest_change_bitrate (GstMssManifest *manifest, guint64 bitrate);
+guint64 gst_mss_manifest_get_current_bitrate (GstMssManifest * manifest);
 
 GstMssStreamType gst_mss_stream_get_type (GstMssStream *stream);
 GstCaps * gst_mss_stream_get_caps (GstMssStream * stream);