diff --git a/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/hls/logic/VideoStreamingSamplerFactory.java b/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/hls/logic/VideoStreamingSamplerFactory.java
index 846f136..a9844b5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/hls/logic/VideoStreamingSamplerFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/hls/logic/VideoStreamingSamplerFactory.java
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ public class VideoStreamingSamplerFactory {
       VideoStreamingHttpClient httpClient,
       TimeMachine timeMachine, SampleResultProcessor sampleResultProcessor) {
     //HLS Master Playlist must contain this .m3u8 extension in their URLs
-    if (url.contains(".m3u8")) {
+    if (url.contains(".m3u8")||url.contains("format=m3u8")) {
       return createHlsSampler(baseSampler, httpClient, timeMachine, sampleResultProcessor);
     } else {
       return createDashSampler(baseSampler, httpClient, timeMachine, sampleResultProcessor);
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/videostreaming/dash/DashSampler.java b/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/videostreaming/dash/DashSampler.java
index ef45f44..207eb87 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/videostreaming/dash/DashSampler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/videostreaming/dash/DashSampler.java
@@ -67,7 +67,9 @@ public MediaRepresentation findMatchingVariant(List<MediaRepresentation> variant
       boolean initialLoop = true;
       while (!mediaPlayback.hasEnded()) {
         if (mediaPlayback.needsManifestUpdate() && !initialLoop) {
-          long awaitMillis = manifest.getReloadTimeMillis(timeMachine.now());
+          long segmentDurationMillis = (long) mediaPlayback.getLastSegment().getDurationSeconds() * 1000;
+          long awaitMillis = manifest.getReloadTimeMillis(segmentDurationMillis);
+
           if (awaitMillis > 0) {
             timeMachine.awaitMillis(awaitMillis);
           }
@@ -187,7 +189,7 @@ private void awaitSegmentAvailable(DashMediaSegment segment) throws InterruptedE
       Instant availabilityTime = segment.getStartAvailabilityTime();
       Instant now = timeMachine.now();
       if (availabilityTime.isAfter(now)) {
-        timeMachine.awaitMillis(Duration.between(availabilityTime, now).toMillis());
+        timeMachine.awaitMillis(Duration.between(now, availabilityTime).toMillis());
       }
     }
 
@@ -219,11 +221,9 @@ private boolean hasContents() {
       return segmentBuilder != null;
     }
 
+    // dynamic manifests (live) or empty segment list require manifest get (timing determined elsewhere)
     private boolean needsManifestUpdate() {
-      return manifest.isDynamic()
-          && manifest.getMinimumUpdatePeriod() != null
-          && (manifest.getReloadTimeMillis(timeMachine.now()) <= 0
-          || !segmentBuilder.hasNext() && !periods.hasNext());
+      return manifest.isDynamic() || !segmentBuilder.hasNext() && !periods.hasNext();
     }
 
   }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/videostreaming/dash/Manifest.java b/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/videostreaming/dash/Manifest.java
index 7c8cd6d..6d3044c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/videostreaming/dash/Manifest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/videostreaming/dash/Manifest.java
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
 import io.lindstrom.mpd.data.MPD;
 import io.lindstrom.mpd.data.Period;
 import io.lindstrom.mpd.data.PresentationType;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.time.Duration;
 import java.time.Instant;
@@ -17,13 +20,15 @@ public class Manifest {
 
   private final URI uri;
   private final MPD mpd;
-  private final Instant downloadTime;
+  private final Instant lastDownLoadTime;
   private final List<MediaPeriod> periods;
+  private Instant playbackStartTime;
+  private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(Manifest.class);
 
   private Manifest(URI uri, MPD mpd, Instant timestamp) {
     this.uri = uri;
     this.mpd = mpd;
-    this.downloadTime = timestamp;
+    this.lastDownLoadTime = timestamp;
     this.periods = buildPeriods(mpd);
   }
 
@@ -81,9 +86,13 @@ public Duration getMinimumUpdatePeriod() {
     return mpd.getMinimumUpdatePeriod();
   }
 
-  public long getReloadTimeMillis(Instant now) {
-    return Math
-        .max(mpd.getMinimumUpdatePeriod().minus(Duration.between(downloadTime, now)).toMillis(), 0);
+  public long getReloadTimeMillis(long segmentDurationMillis) {
+    Duration minUpdatePeriod = mpd.getMinimumUpdatePeriod();
+    // wait at least segment duration if minUpdatePeriod is 0 (or very small)
+    long maxIntervalTime = Math.max(minUpdatePeriod.toMillis(), segmentDurationMillis);
+    Instant now = Instant.now();
+
+    return Math.max(maxIntervalTime - Duration.between(lastDownLoadTime, now).toMillis(), 0);
   }
 
   public Duration getBufferStartTime() {
@@ -97,7 +106,12 @@ public Duration getBufferStartTime() {
 
   public Instant getAvailabilityStartTime() {
     OffsetDateTime time = mpd.getAvailabilityStartTime();
-    return time != null ? time.toInstant() : Instant.MIN;
+    // simulating availabilityStartTime for VOD enables pacing of segment GETs according to segment duration
+    if (time == null && playbackStartTime == null) {
+      LOG.info("setting playbackStartTime to now()");
+      playbackStartTime = Instant.now();
+    }
+    return time != null ? time.toInstant() : playbackStartTime;
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/videostreaming/hls/HlsSampler.java b/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/videostreaming/hls/HlsSampler.java
index 914800c..dfb7495 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/videostreaming/hls/HlsSampler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/blazemeter/jmeter/videostreaming/hls/HlsSampler.java
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ private Playlist tryDownloadPlaylist(URI uri, Function<Playlist, String> namer)
     }
     try {
       HTTPSampleResult playlistResult = httpClient.downloadUri(uri);
-      if (!uri.toString().contains(".m3u8")) {
+      if (!uri.toString().contains(".m3u8") && !uri.toString().contains("format=m3u8")) {
         String playlistName = namer.apply(null);
         sampleResultProcessor.accept(playlistName, playlistResult);
         return null;