HELP: Having trouble with HDMI Audio on DVD Player

[Erman_94]

I own a Samsung HT-TQ72 home theatre system connected to a Samsung upconverting DVD player (not sure the model, it's the 5 disc changer w/HDMI) with a 50" Samsung plasma HP-S5033 (bought as a bundle last year)

I have the DVD player connected to my TV via HDMI and the speakers connected to the DVD player with monster audio wire.

When the audio is outputted through the speakers it is not with HDMI and on the dvd player this function is known as "HDMI AUDIO OFF", but there is also an option of "HDMI AUDIO ON" which transmits the audio just out of my TV speakers through the HDMI. I find the HDMI audio on function to sound MUCH better and crisper than the speakers and I like to use this function for movies with mainly dialogue (actually, even explosions sound crisper with HDMI audio)

HOWEVER, every 1-3 minutes or so the sound will go silent for 1-2 seconds at a time and then come back...what is going on? is it my dvd player, TV or HDMI cable???

ANY HELP OR IDEAS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED, THANKS