Skipping sound in PowerDVD, WMP plays sound for split second then stops

[jack44556677]

I am running Win XP pro sp1, and in all the numerous times I have installed and configured this OS on this machine, I have never run into this problem. Sound works perfectly for a varying amount of time until the sound begins to skip in Powerdvd (not the picture). Unfortunately I am not positive wether or not this problem allways starts in powerdvd or not. After the sound begins skipping... it continues that way regardless of if I switch dvd's etc. All sound at this point is effectively ruined as, although powerdvd has skipping sound, the rest of the machine plays a split second of the sound and then goes to silence. In WMP if I slide to a different part of the song or movie I can hear another split second of the sound and then back to silence again... as if when initializing the sound it begins to work and then immidiately stops. These problems persist until I restart and the cycle inevitably resumes. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE?!?!?!? In the meantime, I will try not using powerdvd and see if the problem still occurs.. after that I'll try switching pci configuration and hope and pray. Any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated... thanks.

ps. sorry for long post length (but I felt this required explaination)