Imac 27 will only boot from internal and from factory install DVD?

I was trying to create a bootable external source for my iMac 27 and came across a pretty odd scenario. One that Apple iteslef says they have never seen before. Love any feedback on how to create a external bootable source. Below are my notes from the 45 minute conversation I just had with Applecare.
My iMac 27 purchased in December, 2010 Will not boot from:
Apple Factory Install DVD (white printed with Snow Leopard)
TechTool Pro 5.06 DVD
SD Card with Bootlable installation
EXT HDD with previous bootable (Leopard 10.5.9) system on it
eDrive on an EXT HDD
I had a 45 conversation with Applecare and the tech has never heard or seen a situation like this one.
Every source shows up if I hold the "option" key down upon power up.
Every source shows up in the System Prefs Startup window (though there was one oddity that he had not seen before. I have to authenticate each and every time I try to change my startup disk in the Startup Disk Prefs)
Every source other than the internal has the same result if I try to boot into it, gray screen with dark gray Apple logo, no gears running, no optical accessing, just the gray screen forever.
We reset my PRAM and tried again. No change
Then the Applecare tech had to get off the phone in order to do some further research.
He came back and we tried to startup from the DVD that shipped with my iMac, not the white factory Snow Leopard I got from Amazon, but the gray install DVD from Apple.
This one booted.
We repaired permissions and checked the internal disk from the Apple Gray Install DVD.
That is as far as the tech could go. He is sending me out a new copy of Snow Leopard, but is unable to support me in my quest to boot from an external source.
I am going to try and create a bootable external source using the gray install dvd instead of the commercial Now Leopard one and see what happens.
Thanks,
Henry

The point is that V.K. is correct.
You cannot create a bootable disk for your iMac from the factory Snow Leopard DVD because your machine was released after Snow Leopard was and as such relies on operating system changes and drivers that exist solely on the disc that came with your machine.
I'm really surprised if an AppleCare agent didn't know that.
To create a bootable external drive either use your Software Restore disc or create a bootable clone of your internal drive using an app like Carbon Copy Cloner.

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