No, the "independent" cable is really that, a coax from the wall to the TV's "ant in" jack. I have my Oppo hooked up the same way that you do, but there is no audio connection directly from the STB to the TV. I think Gonk probably got it right suggesting that the the full HDMI A/V signal is being passed through the 990 even though the connectors are DVI. Can the Outlaws comment on this?