A method for selecting a playback rate in a receiver that receives media for playing out using a presentation element of the receiver, wherein the playing out results in media being consumed from a presentation buffer at the playback rate and wherein the receiver is configured to select from a plurality of playback rates, the method comprising: monitoring the presentation buffer, wherein the presentation buffer stores media data at least between a time the media data is received and a time the media data is consumed by a presentation element associated with the receiver; storing an indication of a buffer level, wherein the buffer level corresponds to how much of the presentation buffer is occupied by the media data that is received and not yet consumed by the presentation element; determining an estimated download rate; using the stored indication and the estimated download rate to compute a target playback rate; and selecting from among the plurality of playback rates according to the target playback rate, wherein - the selected playback rate is the playback rate that is less than or equal to a predetermined multiplier of the estimated download rate and the predetermined multiplier is an increasing function of the buffer level, or - the selected playback rate is the playback rate that is less than or equal to a predetermined multiplier of the estimated download rate and the predetermined multiplier is an increasing function of the number of bytes of media data in the presentation buffer, or - the playback rate is selected to be the largest available playback rate of the plurality of playback rates that is less than or equal to a proportional factor times the estimated download rate, where the proportional factor is an increasing function of a playback time duration of the media data in the presentation buffer divided by an estimate of reaction time to rate changes. monitoring the presentation buffer, wherein the presentation buffer stores media data at least between a time the media data is received and a time the media data is consumed by a presentation element associated with the receiver; storing an indication of a buffer level, wherein the buffer level corresponds to how much of the presentation buffer is occupied by the media data that is received and not yet consumed by the presentation element; determining an estimated download rate; using the stored indication and the estimated download rate to compute a target playback rate; and selecting from among the plurality of playback rates according to the target playback rate, wherein - the selected playback rate is the playback rate that is less than or equal to a predetermined multiplier of the estimated download rate and the predetermined multiplier is an increasing function of the buffer level, or - the selected playback rate is the playback rate that is less than or equal to a predetermined multiplier of the estimated download rate and the predetermined multiplier is an increasing function of the number of bytes of media data in the presentation buffer, or - the playback rate is selected to be the largest available playback rate of the plurality of playback rates that is less than or equal to a proportional factor times the estimated download rate, where the proportional factor is an increasing function of a playback time duration of the media data in the presentation buffer divided by an estimate of reaction time to rate changes. - the selected playback rate is the playback rate that is less than or equal to a predetermined multiplier of the estimated download rate and the predetermined multiplier is an increasing function of the buffer level, or - the selected playback rate is the playback rate that is less than or equal to a predetermined multiplier of the estimated download rate and the predetermined multiplier is an increasing function of the number of bytes of media data in the presentation buffer, or - the playback rate is selected to be the largest available playback rate of the plurality of playback rates that is less than or equal to a proportional factor times the estimated download rate, where the proportional factor is an increasing function of a playback time duration of the media data in the presentation buffer divided by an estimate of reaction time to rate changes.