On Demand - Slow Load Time

The issue I'm having is that the On Demand menus are SOOOO slow to load.  You click on demand, primetime, then a channel...and it's seriously a full minute for the channel to load and display the names of the shows.  Click a show, and another full minute to populate the episodes.  Internet works great, I could seriously pirate the show online faster then the cable box loads.  I've called and complained, told this sounds normal...but my friend who lives in the same building doesn't have this issue.  He has the Contour DVD HD full-blown thing, I just have the regular TV service/on-deman withouth DVR....is that what causes the wait times?  Not having the DVR?  I figured just because I don't want to record shows (since there's on demand anyway) I'd be able to use it conveniently.  Anyone else have any input?