(Gen 2) Slow Response, Some Netflix Items Won't Play

The last couple of months we have been having issues with our Generation II Apple TV. I have it hardwired to my home network, but at times it seems so incredibly slow - hours to download some movies through Apple and other Netflix ones won't download at all, yet they will on my Macbook when I go to the Netflix site. I have rebooted the Apple TV and my network, tried the wireless (much worse) and tried cables, different ports on my router. I am current and up to date on all the updates. So, I don't think this is a hardware issue within my home set-up.

Here are some specific examples:

From Apple (iTunes Store): We have rented "Love and Other Drugs" but this movie won't download. It spins and spins and eventually says something like 6 hours to download. But it never actually does, we have tried it several times.

From NetFlix: Season II of Desperate Housewives. It plays just fine on my Macbook from the Netflix website, but try and get it on the Apple TV and if eventually times out or gives an error. We can watch other movies and TV shows, but this one just doesn't work for some reason?

I have also noticed YouTube is much slower on the Apple TV than on my Macbook, even with my MacBook using the home wireless network where the Apple TV is hardwired directly to my network.

So here is my guess. For the Apple TV everything is being routed first through Apple, rather than going to it directly. Maybe for tracking and reporting purposes, but since the Apple TV is so popular it is getting overwhelmed with volume. Plus something are not being routed correctly and thus we can't get to all the available content. This is really frustrating and at times makes me want to rip the little bugger off my TV and toss it away....

Is there any solution out there for this?