A method includes: obtaining, by a client, a media presentation description file, where the media presentation description file includes a priority level of a coding representation group of media; selecting a coding representation group according to the priority level of the coding representation group and a current network bandwidth, and selecting one coding representation from each selected coding representation group; and requesting, according to address information that is of the selected coding representation and is obtained by parsing the media presentation description file, a media segment of the coding representation from a server that is indicated by the address information.