Methods and apparatus that facilitate providing alternative content to customer devices in systems supporting DASH streaming are described. Various features relate to dynamically modifying and providing media presentation description (MPD) information to customer devices. MPD information is used by customer devices to obtain media content, e.g., program content and/or alternative content. The client device, e.g., a IP content playback device, switches between a mode used during playing of program segments in which an in-band EMSG is used to trigger a request for an MPD update and a mode of operation used during the playing of additional or alternative content segments during which the client device will periodically request MPD information. By limiting requests for MPD information during normal program segments to requests triggered by an EMSG the number of update requests can be minimized or reduced as compared to other approaches where requests for updated MPD information are made periodically.