Optimizing media streaming by a bitrate-controlling device

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more ports for coupling to an external media-capturing device, wherein the one or more ports are configured to receive a media stream from the external media-capturing device and send an instruction to the external media-capturing device to control a bitrate of the media stream, a network connector configured to communicate with an edge device that provides access to a network, a retransmission unit configured to retransmit the media stream to the network through the network connector and the edge device, and a control unit configured to monitor the retransmission unit to determine a performance metric associated with a retransmission of the media stream and send an instruction through the one or more ports to the external media-capturing device to reduce the bitrate of the media stream in response to a determination that the performance metric fails to satisfy a predetermined criterion.