In progressive downloading of multimedia content, such as SVG files, the client buffers some data for a certain time so the content can be decoded and presented in a timely manner. In order for the client to start presenting the content of a file at an appropriate time, the client has to estimate the start-up delay time correctly. The server, prior to or at the time of sending the data, provides the client information indicative of content properties, such as the size and content presentation time of some or all scenes. The information may include transmission minimum bandwidth to ensure each remaining scene will be available before its presentation time. The client estimates the start-up delay time based on the provided information. Furthermore, the client can determine when to remove one or more files from its data buffer in order to minimize the memory usage.