I have a similar issue and it seems to be getting worse. Intending to open the machine and have a look soon but I suspect that the CD isn't spinning up so the TOC can't be read from the disc. Last night I had to put the tray in/out a couple of dozen times. There's also a short rubbing/buzzing type noise once the tray closes. Try cleaning the laser first and if that doesn't help then open up the machine (remove rubber blanks on each side, unscrew and remove weights then undo screws for lid) and see if the disc spins up...if it doesn't, try helping it with a little push and see if that works. It should help you narrow down the issue.
Chris Pearson
October 2011