Cable modem in Montgomery County Maryland (outside D.C.):

I'm not sure the purpose of using media player, since it just complicates the timing, but here it is:

New: To start playing: 0:27
100% downloaded: 6:53

Old: To start playing: 0:34
100% downloaded: 4:38

However, I think a straight download (right click) is much more revealing:

New: Time 3:44 (45.5 KB/Sec)

Old: Time 0:59 (163 KB/Sec)

Traceroute New:
C:\WINDOWS>tracert www.rcuniverse.com

Tracing route to rcuniverse.com [63.170.142.203]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 * * * Request timed out.
2 14 ms <10 ms 14 ms 172.30.103.145
3 14 ms 13 ms 14 ms 172.30.103.131
4 14 ms 14 ms 14 ms 172.30.100.186
5 14 ms 14 ms 13 ms 68.48.0.162
6 27 ms 14 ms 14 ms pos-6-3-cr01.ritchieroad.md.core.comcast.net [6
.87.18.41]
7 13 ms 14 ms 14 ms 12.126.168.5
8 14 ms 14 ms 13 ms tbr1-p012201.wswdc.ip.att.net [12.123.9.74]
9 14 ms 14 ms 13 ms 12.123.9.113
10 14 ms 13 ms 14 ms att-gw.dc.sprint.net [192.205.32.166]
11 14 ms 13 ms 28 ms sl-bb23-rly-5-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.20.153]

12 28 ms 13 ms 14 ms sl-bb27-rly-10-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.14.142

13 41 ms 41 ms 28 ms sl-bb23-chi-12-0.sprintlink.net [144.232.20.184

14 41 ms 27 ms 41 ms 144.232.10.10
15 68 ms 69 ms 69 ms sl-m2nsmult-3-0.sprintlink.net [160.81.42.130]
16 69 ms 82 ms 69 ms 63.170.142.203

Trace complete.

Tracert old:

C:\WINDOWS>tracert utopia.rcuniverse.com

Tracing route to utopia.rcuniverse.com [66.0.192.212]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 * * * Request timed out.
2 14 ms 13 ms <10 ms 172.30.103.145
3 14 ms 13 ms 14 ms 172.30.103.131
4 <10 ms 13 ms 14 ms 172.30.100.174
5 14 ms 13 ms 14 ms 68.48.0.162
6 14 ms 14 ms 14 ms pos-6-3-cr01.ritchieroad.md.core.comcast.net [68
.87.18.41]
7 13 ms 14 ms 14 ms 12.118.122.9
8 27 ms 14 ms 14 ms tbr1-p010401.wswdc.ip.att.net [12.123.9.106]
9 28 ms 13 ms 14 ms tbr2-cl9.phlpa.ip.att.net [12.122.2.86]
10 14 ms 14 ms 13 ms gar2-p390.phlpa.ip.att.net [12.123.137.50]
11 28 ms 27 ms 14 ms 12.119.53.118
12 27 ms 28 ms 14 ms g-2-1.c0-pitb.telcove.net [24.56.96.21]
13 41 ms 42 ms 27 ms p03-4-4.c0-atln.telcove.net [24.56.96.74]
14 69 ms 55 ms 69 ms p03-0-1-0.a0-orld.telcove.net [24.56.97.98]
15 68 ms 69 ms 55 ms 64.31.173.22
16 55 ms 55 ms 55 ms pos1-0.atlngapk24w.cr.deltacom.net [66.35.174.25
]
17 55 ms 68 ms 69 ms 66.35.174.106
18 55 ms 55 ms 68 ms suw03.gig6-0.edeltacom.com [66.35.174.166]
19 55 ms 69 ms * suwC6.gig3-6.edeltacom.com [216.154.207.150]
20 55 ms 55 ms 69 ms suw0S.gig4-3-6.edeltacom.com [216.154.207.146]
21 * 55 ms * www.rcuniverse.com [66.0.192.212]
22 * 68 ms * www.rcuniverse.com [66.0.192.212]
23 55 ms 69 ms * www.rcuniverse.com [66.0.192.212]
24 55 ms * * www.rcuniverse.com [66.0.192.212]
25 55 ms * 69 ms www.rcuniverse.com [66.0.192.212]

Trace complete.

What the heck is happening in lines 21 through 25???

Also, don't know if this is relevant, but the download from old is very steady, whereas the download from the new is very bursty, fast for a while, then nothing for a while, fast again, etc.