A block-request streaming system provides for improvements in the user experience and bandwidth efficiency of such systems, typically using an ingestion system that generates data in a form to be served by a conventional file server (HTTP, FTP, or the like), wherein the ingestion system intakes content and prepares it as files or data elements to be served by the file server, which might include a cache. A client device can be adapted to take advantage of the ingestion process as well as improvements that make for a better presentation independent of the ingestion process. The client devices and ingestion system can be coordinated to have a predefined mapping and template for making block requests to HTTP file names that a conventional file server can accept through the use of URL construction rules. Segment size might be specified in an approximate manner for more efficient organization.