A resource manager permits a first user to use a first bandwidth of a shared pool of bandwidth for receiving a first media stream, where the shared pool of bandwidth comprises a maximum amount of available bandwidth. The resource manager receives a request from a second user to use a second bandwidth of the shared pool of bandwidth for receiving a second media stream, and determines whether it is permissible to decrease the quality of the first media stream or the second media stream to reduce the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth such that the second bandwidth combined with the first bandwidth does not exceed the maximum amount of available bandwidth of the pool of bandwidth, where determining whether it is permissible to decrease the quality of the first media stream or the second media stream includes one of: signaling the first user to determine if the first user approves decreasing the quality of the first media stream, or signaling the second user to determine if the second user approves decreasing the quality of the second media stream. The resource manager further decreases the quality of the first media stream or the second media stream based on the permissibility determination.