Dynamic bit rate scaling

A system, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions, comprising:
• a playback controller configured to determine a playback status a first version of a media content being concurrently downloaded and played on a media player, wherein the playback status indicates whether an overall bandwidth utilization of a connection employed for the downloading meets a threshold associated with a desired overall bandwidth utilization indicated in a data transfer policy, wherein the desired overall bandwidth utilization is based upon a monetary rate for data transfer on the connection at a time period associated with the downloading of the first version of the media content, and wherein the connection has associated a plurality of time periods with respective monetary rates for data transfer;
• a source manager configured to, in response to the overall bandwidth utilization not meeting the threshold associated with the desired overall bandwidth utilization, select a second version of the media content to download that is anticipated to cause the overall bandwidth utilization to meet the threshold associated with the desired overall bandwidth utilization;
• and
• a stream agent configured to identify a frame of the second version of the media content at which to transition playing from the first version of the media content to the second version of the media content.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause at least one device including a processor to perform operations comprising:

• determining a playback status of a first version of a media content being concurrently downloaded and played on a media player, wherein the playback status indicates whether an overall bandwidth utilization of a connection employed for the downloading meets a threshold associated with a desired overall bandwidth utilization indicated in a data transfer policy, wherein the desired overall bandwidth utilization is based upon a monetary rate for data transfer on the connection at a time period associated with the downloading of the first version of the media content, and wherein the connection has associated a plurality of time periods with respective monetary rates for data transfer;
• in response to overall bandwidth utilization not meeting the threshold associated with the desired overall bandwidth utilization, selecting a second version of the media content to download that is anticipated to cause the overall bandwidth utilization to meet the threshold associated with the desired overall bandwidth utilization;
• and
• identifying a frame of the second version of the media content at which to transition playing from the first version of the media content to the second version of the media content.