oooooooops.
hokay, so.
reburnt a new copy, x4 speed, on a DVD RW. worked then. i cant say what works for sure, as different people cite different things as a fix; including a DVD RW instead of R, anything from x1 to x4 write speeds, etc etc.
i went with a velociraptor, since i needed a new HDD soon, couldnt wait till xmas for a rumored drop that may or may not have come.
either way, im set up now, thanks to all for the info and help.