Here's the scoop - audio dropouts occur when you have Dolby Digital activated and run HDMI to your TV and in turn, run sound from your TV to your receiver. The sound will drop out on both TV and receiver. If you either turn off Dolby Digital or run sound directly from D* receiver to your audio receiver, you will not get audio dropouts. Over and out...
Not entirely true. My sound runs directly to my receiver, and I had plenty of issues. (They stopped).