27" thunderbolt displays. cord lenght is useless.

Apple really failed on this new fantastic additions to their display lineup.  they release 27" thunderbolt displays with a cord lenght just long enough for putting everything on desk.
I had high hopes for using these displays (bought two of them for daisychaining).  But now they both must go back to apple.
Message to apple: its fine to nudge users into to newer trends by taking out DVD drives or removing display ports/DVI ports from your macbooks but to attempt an influence how people use your products at home is utter arrogance.

This problem also occured with the 27" mini displayport version of the 27" display.  But fortunately there were (are) plenty of mini-displayport display extension cables available. 
I've done some google searching for a TB display extension cable (i.e., female to male) and haven't yet found one.  Like most things TB there is very little available on the market at the moment.  I expect that to ease with time.  How much time?  I don't know.   If not TB is going to be dead in the water.  But apple won't let that happen.  So licensing restrictions will ease and I assume we'll see all sorts of stuff like the extension cables, adapters, switches, and whatever.
Note, male-male TB extension cables do exist for interconnecting TB devices.  Just not male-female, at least as far as my limited google searching has determined up to the point I'm writing this reply.

Similar Messages

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    I am concerned that the cords won't reach both.

    i think his question refers to the cable that is part of the Thunderbolt display. As I recall it, one physical combined cable from the back of the Thunderbolt display diverges into separate power (MagSafe 1) and Thunderbolt connectors. It would be an easy connection if both the MagSafe2 on the 11" MBA and the Thunderbolt port were on the same end. I don't remember if the MagSafe and Thunderbolt ports were on the same side of the previous generation MBA or if the new MBA has changed that.

  • Wall extension cord for Thunderbolt Display

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    No problem.

  • Thunderbolt display emitting noise.

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    https://discussions.apple.com/message/21260561#21260561
    Now, it's much worse.  It makes the sound no matter whether the display is actually plugged in or the level of brightness, as long as I use the power from the Thunderbolt display it makes the noise, albeit softly.  When I plug the Thunderbolt display in as a second monitor, it gets REALLY loud - to the point where I cannot use the monitor any longer.
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    Possible Solution for under $2.00:  Plug the display into one of those ground eliminating plugs that allow you to plug grounded cords into old style two prong receptacles.
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    When I got my display back I decided to try plugging the display's power cord into one of those little plugs that converts a three prong into a 2 prong, by eliminating the ground prong.  I plugged the display into the ground-eliminating plug, then into the surge protector.  While I confess it has only been a few days that the display has been functioning under these conditions, there is no hiss sound.  Last time I thought I found a solution, I performed experiments to recreate the hiss and it never went away; so this time I have decided to be superstitious rather than scientific.  So you should take this report as an anecdote only.
    Additionally, I do not recommend this solution, because eliminating the ground may cause problems.  [As described by MAD SCI: "It is only protection against lightening really. So if you wonder why apple has done this and not fixed it yet, it’s more political than you think…."] With this in mind, I believe there is a risk the described fix could turn your display into a useless piece of junk, if there was a power surge from a lightening strike that was not eliminated by the expensive surge protector it is probably plugged into. Of course, since my noise was so loud, the display was already a useless piece of junk (until I eliminated the hiss with this "kludgy" fix), I figure I have nothing to loose. 

  • How to charge mid 2011 macbook air battery using Thunderbolt display

    While trying to organize all my computer miscellaneous (cords, adapters & so on), I came across an adapter on a little card with the comment, "For use with your Thunderbolt Display and Mac with MagSafe 2 port." Appears to be for charging my mid 2011 MacBook Air via the Thunderbolt Display -- what might be the advantages/disadvantages in doing so? I found the info. in the product manuals to be pretty skimpy about this.
    Thanks,
    Linda

    So, I guess the adapter came with the display just in case I had a compatible Mac. I should have noted that on the card. Now, about the rest of the stuff in my Apple mystery box...that's for another day.
    Thanks, seb101, for your quick reply!

  • 2 thunderbolt displays worked fine daisy chained, moved one to work in other room, now only one will work.  both work independantly or both plugged into my macbook pro.

    I have 2 thunderbolt displays and have had them daisy chained for months where I only would plug one into my macbook pro 15" retina and both displays have worked great.  The other day I moved one of them into the conference room, connected also a HDMI cord to a projector to do some work with staff on software design. 
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    Is there a setting I need to look at to maybe reset so that my macbook pro will use both thunderbolt displays daisy chained?
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    Hi there,
    The first thing that I would recomend is resetting the PRAM on your portable.
    OS X Mountain Lion: Reset your computer’s PRAM
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ph11243
    If the issues persist, then you may need to force the device to detect displays.
    OS X Mountain Lion: About the Display pane of System Preferences
    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5369
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    If the detect displays option is not available, hold down the Option key while you are in the Display pane.
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  • Thunderbolt display wakes up to horizontal shreds

    After a few days of my new Thunderbolt display has a problem  - running with my mid 2011 11" MacBook Air (Lion / 1.8GHz Core i7/ 256 GB) .
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    See if there is a way to turn off CEC on the Philips through its menu system and see if that helps.

  • Sleep Thunderbolt Display only

    How can I make my Thunderbolt display sleep while it's plugged in to my MacBook and the MacBook is running and in use (not asleep)?

    UPDATE (& resolution):  After the display finally died completely, I took it back to Apple Store for service.  They replaced the logic board and power module and cords.  Sort of a shotgun approach, which fixed the problem.  Now, just to be safe, I don't use the LAN port on the Thunderbolt, or the magsafe power cord coming from the Thunderbolt.  Instead, I plug my network directly to the Macbook with LAN-to-display adaptor, and use the macbook's own power chord to power it.  Hope it lasts!

  • New 27" thunderbolt display

    new 27" thunderbolt display hooked up to late 2009 27" iMac will not work. I tried the PRAM reset and switched the power cords. Display will not even light up at all. Just bought the used iMac from Simply Mac. New display from Best Buy.

    The late 2009 iMac uses Mini DisplayPort. It does not have a Thunderbolt port, so cannot drive a Thunderbolt display.

  • Xbox 360 to Thunderbolt Display

    I have a "dinky" TV monitor and I was hoping to upgrade up some. I saw the new Thunderbolt Display, and as an Apple Lover, I feel in love. Is it possible for me to connect my Xbox 360 (through cords?) to an Apple Thunderbolt Display? I tried looking for a cord that would connect the two but I wasn't sure what exactly to look for. Any suggestions?

    You can only attach a TB device to a TB source.  No adapters are available.
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  • Brand new Thunderbolt display shuts off randomly

    I've had a new ThunderBolt Display for less than a month paired with a brand-new Mac Mini (2.6 GHz Intel Core i7, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3, Intel HD Graphics 4000)
    and the display just began shutting off randomly.
    I also have an external HD drive daisy chained via the display's Thunderbolt port that stops working once the display dies. Tried connecting the Mac Mini alone with no hard drive figuring it might be the drive but no the display still randomly shuts off. Any ideas or suggestions before I call Applecare?

    I have a similar setup and problem. My Thunderbolt display (refurb, purchased in February 2012) will randomly turn off, as if it went to sleep - but mouse/keyboard input does not wake it back up. The internal speakers will still output audio. Disconnecting/reconnecting the Thunderbolt cable from the attached Mac Mini (2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, OS X 10.7.5, AMD Radeon HD 6630M ) will not resolve the issue. Disconnecting/reconnecting the display's power cord and the Thunderbolt cable from the Mac Mini will resolve the issue temporarily. This began happening maybe a month or two ago, and has probably happened 10 times in the last 30 days. It is completely random, and I have yet to be able to duplicate it on demand.
    Steps taken to attempt to fix the issue:
    Confirmed Energy Saver Settings
    Confirmed Software up to date (OS 10.7.5)
    Attempted Firmware Updates (message states not needed)
    Reset NVRAM
    Reset SMC (unplugging computer)
    There are other discussions reporting similar behaviour:
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3340067?start=0&tstart=0 (13 pages)
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3352192?start=0&tstart=0 (5 pages)
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4243396?start=0&tstart=0 (2 pages)
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3347412?start=0&tstart=0 (1 page)
    As well as other discussions concerning random flickering issues with the display.
    Since I'm still under warranty, I took my display to a Genius Bar today. The rep didn't really seem to want to hear about what I found on these discussion boards. He says you can pretty much find anything you want to find here, and since it is unmoderated it is not a reliable source of information. I let him know that the issue (as far as I can tell) occurs with different models of Mac Mini's, MB Pros & MB Airs, suggesting it is in fact an issue with the display and not what's connected to it. I added that most folks who reported bringing the displays in for service ultimately ended up with a replacement display, as the service done on the defective display proved to not resolve the issue - but I would of course defer to his judgement.
    He decided that they would order and replace the LCD panel. He assured me they would keep the display powered on for 12-24 hours after the service to ensure the issue has been resolved. Truthfully, I am not optimistic. And for the amount it costs to replace the panel ($833.32 from the provided estimate), I speculate this course of action will end up being much more costly for them in the long run. But we shall see!
    I will be sure to provide updates as they come.  Wish me luck!

  • Love the Thunderbolt Display but disappointed with connection to rMBP

    I just got a Thunderbolt Display (my first). Gorgeous piece of equipment and typically elegant Apple industrial design.
    I'm a little disappointed, though, in how it is connecting to my retina MacBook Pro (yes, I'm completely broke now...).  It seems the power part of the dual connector from the display (power + TB) isn't really designed to work well with the rMBP (see picture).  The 2nd Gen MagSafe adapter works fine, but the angle that it must attach and not interfere with the TB plug makes it very easy for it to become disconnected.  The cord really needs to enter the MagSafe in-line with it, as opposed to 90º.
    Any thoughts?

    unfortunately, will not work ever
    your mac needs tb on it to use a tb display; the older mac pro's use the apple led cinema display

  • Chaining Thunderbolt Displays over wide Distance

    I have one MacBook Pro and two Thunderbolt displays.  One display sits right in front of me alongside my Mac, and the other I'd like to place 15' away in my office.  Chaining the two displays when they are side by side is no problem.  But how do I power/light up, i.e., chain the 2nd Thunderbolt when the distance is much greater than the cord length on the device?  If one answer is to place a 2nd Mac in front of the 2nd Thunderbolt well that can happen but I'd like to see if I can drive this from my main Mac first.
    Thank you for your suggestions!

    Now my next question will be about getting my cable tv to display on one of the Thunderbolts.
    I have a Comcast cable box with all sorts of output ports, including optical and HDMI.  I also have the latest Apple TV.  What do I need to do to:  1) display my Comcast cable on my Thunderbolt as if it were my TV.
    I think the general answer here is forget about HD out from your comcast box.  HDCP will prevent that.  But you can use component, composite, or s-video.   Look at Elgato products for TV support for input to your computer.
    You won't be able to attach the TB displays to anything other than TB source so I don't know where that leaves you with respect to using it on anything other than the TB computer.  Maybe appletv can handle it but I know nothing about that.

  • Thunderbolt display suddenly not working

    I have a brand new MBP (retina), purchased about 2 months ago.  I also purhased a 27in thunderbolt display about 1 week ago.  The display has been working fine until tonight.  When i tried to wakup my laptop from sleep the thundebolt display didn't do anything.  I re-plugged all the cables and still got nothing.  Rebooted MBP, nothing... shutdown MBP, still nothing.
    Removed all USB cables from display, pulled power cord from display, re-connected, still nothing.
    Went through the guides on here about reseting PRAM, NVRAM and SMC.  Done all that, and nothing.
    Also did the delete the /com.apple.windowserver.plist file... nothing seems to work.  I can still charge the laptop from the display, but plugging in the thunderbolt cable does nothing at all.
    Pretty ****** off, this display is one week old and it suddenly dies?
    I have another display (dell) which works fine from either thunderbolt port from the mac.
    Any thoughts?  Is it the MBP or the display?
    Software on MBP is Maviricks 10.9.2

    So i left the MBP shutdown and the display unplugged from power overnight.
    Connected it up this morning and nothing happened... left it connected and after about 10 minutes the display magically came to life out of no where...
    Seems a bit dodgy!

  • Thunderbolt Display Firmware Update 1.2

    I have a MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) and two thunderbolt displays. I recently started getting notified there was an update available, Thunderbolt Display Firmware Update 1.2 and App Store kept prompting me to download and install.
    I tried multiple times, and each time it states it failed to update. According to this KB article About Thunderbolt Display Firmware Update 1.2 - Apple Support it states Firmware Version should be 26.2 and the Port Micro Firmware Version should be 2.0.7 after the update.
    I checked and my Mac is in fact reporting the updates were applied. See information from the system report below. I am prompted every day, multiple times to download and apply this update again, over and over. I don't understand why.
    I contacted Apple Support and the rep I worked with was pretty much useless. In fact, I am fairly sure I know more and *NIX than he does. Anyway, does anyone have a suggestion on howe to remedy this?
    Thunderbolt Bus:
      Vendor Name: Apple Inc.
      Device Name: MacBook Pro
      UID: 0x0001000F04E36360
      Route String: 0
      Firmware Version: 17.1
      Domain UUID: E66642D7-AAB9-2B54-9F69-9854739EA240
      Port:
      Status: No device connected
      Link Status: 0x7
      Speed: Up to 20 Gb/s x1
      Current Link Width: 0x1
      Receptacle: 1
      Link Controller Firmware Version: 0.12.0
      Port:
      Status: Device connected
      Link Status: 0x2
      Speed: Up to 10 Gb/s x2
      Current Link Width: 0x1
      Receptacle: 2
      Cable Firmware Version: 0.1.18
      Cable Serial Number: C4M329400Q3DNWFAG
      Link Controller Firmware Version: 0.12.0
    Thunderbolt Display:
      Vendor Name: Apple Inc.
      Device Name: Thunderbolt Display
      Vendor ID: 0x1
      Device ID: 0x8002
      Device Revision: 0x1
      UID: 0x0001000100955390
      Route String: 3
      Firmware Version: 26.2
      Port (Upstream):
      Status: Device connected
      Link Status: 0x2
      Speed: Up to 10 Gb/s x2
      Port Micro Firmware Version: 2.0.7
      Cable Firmware Version: 0.1.18
      Cable Serial Number: C4M329400Q3DNWFAG
      Port:
      Status: Device connected
      Link Status: 0x2 / 0x1
      Speed: Up to 10 Gb/s x2
      Port Micro Firmware Version: 2.0.7
    Thunderbolt Display:
      Vendor Name: Apple Inc.
      Device Name: Thunderbolt Display
      Vendor ID: 0x1
      Device ID: 0x8002
      Device Revision: 0x1
      UID: 0x0001000000000000
      Route String: 303
      Firmware Version: 26.2
      Port (Upstream):
      Status: Device connected
      Link Status: 0x2 / 0x1
      Speed: Up to 10 Gb/s x2
      Port Micro Firmware Version: 2.0.7
      Port:
      Status: No device connected
      Link Status: 0x7
      Speed: Up to 10 Gb/s x2
      Port Micro Firmware Version: 2.0.7

    Strange. The downloaded dmg file package said that the upgrade was successfully installed, but the App Store still says I need to update. I haven't tried it with my MBP cover open but I'll give that a shot.
    Thanks,
    Clinton
    MacBook Pro (15” Late 2011), OS X Yosemite 10.10.1, 16GB Crucial RAM, 960GB M500 Crucial SSD, 27” Apple Thunderbolt Display

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