The switch signaling methods providing improved switching between representations for adaptive HTTP streaming described herein enable user experience and bandwidth efficiency improvements for adaptive HTTP streaming solutions, even when segment data is encrypted. The signaling methods include associating segment maps with segments of a representation, wherein a segment map comprises both temporal entry and temporal exit points within associated segments together with byte offset information and potentially other segment information, wherein segment maps may be generated with predictable time span patterns that are independent of the time spans of the associated segments. These embodiments can be used to enhance existing deployments in such a way that there is no need to change existing content encoding and formatting processes, and such that existing clients that receive and play out content are unaffected.