def _start(self, items):
        """ Start some items if conditions are met.
        """
        # TODO: Filter by a custom date field, for scheduled downloads starting at a certain time, or after a given delay

        # TODO: Don't start anything more if download BW is used >= config threshold in %

        # Check if anything more is ready to start downloading
        startable = [i for i in items if self.config.startable.match(i)]
        if not startable:
            self.LOG.debug("Checked %d item(s), none startable according to [ %s ]",
                           len(items), self.config.startable)
            return

        # Check intermission delay
        now = time.time()
        if now < self.last_start:
            # compensate for summer time and other oddities
            self.last_start = now
        delayed = int(self.last_start + self.config.intermission - now)
        if delayed > 0:
            self.LOG.debug("Delaying start of {:d} item(s),"
                           " due to {:d}s intermission with {:d}s left"
                           .format(len(startable), self.config.intermission, delayed))
            return

        # TODO: sort by priority, then loaded time

        # Stick to "start_at_once" parameter, unless "downloading_min" is violated
        downloading = [i for i in items if self.config.downloading.match(i)]
        start_now = max(self.config.start_at_once, self.config.downloading_min - len(downloading))
        start_now = min(start_now, len(startable))

        #down_traffic = sum(i.down for i in downloading)
        ##self.LOG.info("%d downloading, down %d" % (len(downloading), down_traffic))

        # Start eligible items
        for idx, item in enumerate(startable):
            # Check if we reached 'start_now' in this run
            if idx >= start_now:
                self.LOG.debug("Only starting %d item(s) in this run, %d more could be downloading" % (
                    start_now, len(startable)-idx,))
                break

            # TODO: Prevent start of more torrents that can fit on the drive (taking "off" files into account)
            # (restarts items that were stopped due to the "low_diskspace" schedule, and also avoids triggering it at all)

            # Only check the other conditions when we have `downloading_min` covered
            if len(downloading) < self.config.downloading_min:
                self.LOG.debug("Catching up from %d to a minimum of %d downloading item(s)" % (
                    len(downloading), self.config.downloading_min))
            else:
                # Limit to the given maximum of downloading items
                if len(downloading) >= self.config.downloading_max:
                    self.LOG.debug("Already downloading %d item(s) out of %d max, %d more could be downloading" % (
                        len(downloading), self.config.downloading_max, len(startable)-idx,))
                    break

            # If we made it here, start it!
            self.last_start = now
            downloading.append(item)
            self.LOG.info("%s '%s' [%s, #%s]" % (
                "WOULD start" if self.config.dry_run else "Starting",
                fmt.to_utf8(item.name), item.alias, item.hash))
            if not self.config.dry_run:
                item.start()
                if not self.config.quiet:
                    self.proxy.log(xmlrpc.NOHASH, "%s: Started '%s' {%s}" % (
                        self.__class__.__name__, fmt.to_utf8(item.name), item.alias,
                    ))
Start some items if conditions are met.