Thanks for those links...should I go ahead and just install them all? I would think if I just re-installed 12.04 they would all just automatically install no? But that aside...I could and would just download and install them all...but how do I know if I already have them or not? I am still rather new to this (using linux that is, I'm a novice at best right now but intend to be a master)...if it would be easier to re-install I'd rather just do that...but if I have to install all the add-on's individually I will.

Edit: I just found flash in the Ubuntu Software Center...and as far as the encrypted dvd player thing (libdvd something) I got that in 11.10 through the Synaptic Package Manager...I went to install that from the software center and it's sitting in the launcher...when I hover over it, it says "waiting to install" when the progress in the software center says it's done...what could be the deal with that? I'm also getting a few "Ubuntu 12.04 has experienced an internal problem" involving rythembox...any ideas?

I'm not sure what you're having problems with. Installing the libdvdread, libdvdcss or installing Synaptic?? If you selected libdvdread in the Software Center, you should have had an "install" tab on the right and after clicking that you see the little green circular icon until it installs. The install tab will then change to Remove.

So, what's sitting in the Launcher and what Launcher are you referring to?

Synaptic and the Launcher on the left side of the screen...it just sits there saying waiting to install...under Ubuntu 1....also is there anyway to make banshee the default music player via sound setting in the top right corner...rhythembox is just not cutting it.

WELL! FUCK ME! It was just waiting for me to click it an re-type in my password...sorry...I feel kinda dumb right now...but yeah...that's done...but about the rest of the add on's and everything that tommycd posted...should I just install all of them? or just a few? and how would I know if I already have on of the files?

also libdvdread in synaptic says I have libdvdread4 and I could get libdvdread-dbg and libdvdread-dev...which one would be what I need?

Yes, if you reinstalled 12.04 then everything would then be installed. I suggested installing the Ubuntu-restricted-* packages as an alternative to reinstalling Ubuntu.

If you open up synaptic package manager and search for those packages it would indicate which packages are already installed and which are not installed.
Also, running will show what packages are installed. With using aptitude from the terminal an "i" before the package means it is installed. A "p" before a package means it is purged (i.e., not installed).
In any case, if a package is already installed at it's latest version from the repos, then nothing will be done unless you instruct APT to reinstall the package like this: