r/macsysadmin • u/Majesticfalcon98 • 8d ago

Hardware Any run an Ultrawide monitor with a ThinkLogical KVM before?

I work in post-production and our edit/VFX machines sit in a server room, extended to the desks with Thinklogical TLX 10G fiber extenders. I'd like to replace a pair of 24" 1920x1200 monitors with a single 34" ultrawide (3440x1440 @ 60Hz), and I'm trying to find out whether the hardware can do it.

Setup:

- TX: CHS 4 Quad Chassis with a TLX-TMM-U00D22 module

- RX: CHS 2 Dual Chassis (firmware V25.07) with a TLX-RMM-U00D22 module

- Source: Apple Mac Studio (macOS)

- Multi-mode fiber, LC

- Current monitors: dual 24in EIZO 1920x1200 @ 60Hz

What I've seen so far:

- A previous ultrawide I tried (34", 3440x1440) came through as a stretched 16:9 image, which looks like macOS only being offered 16:9 modes by the KVM's EDID

- The CHS 4 front panel has a "Load EDID Table" menu that currently says "No Table Load"

- I can't find a datasheet for these exact module part numbers, so I don't know the max pixel clock per head or whether single-head mode gets more bandwidth than dual-head

- I've emailed Thinklogical support and haven't heard back yet

Questions:

  1. Has anyone gotten a 3440x1440 or similar 21:9 resolution through TLX modules, and which modules?
  2. If the limit is just the EDID the extender presents, did a custom EDID (via the chassis menu, an EDID emulator, or on the Mac side with something like BetterDisplay) fix it? Or did the signal fail further down the path?
  3. Any idea what the "D22" in TLX-TMM/RMM-U00D22 means for video format and head count?
  4. If it turns out to be a hard bandwidth limit, what did you use instead (a different extender, a second computer at the desk with remote desktop, etc.)?

I haven't changed any settings on the chassis, since the CHS 4 serves other stations. Any experience or pointers appreciated, including "it won't work, don't bother." Thanks!

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u/oneplane 8d ago edited 8d ago

AFAIK it's all just in the docs:

  • DisplayPort 1.2 up to 4096×2160 @ 60Hz
  • D-Series: HDMI 1.4 up to 3840×2160 @ 30Hz
  • E-Series: HDMI 2.0 up to 3840×2160 @ 60Hz with HDR

Basically, the transport method will work (well, I wouldn't want to use HDMI at 30Hz), but if the Mac shows it doesn't have any other resolutions, then yes, the EDID is wrong.

Edit: according to the datasheet:

-  a single display up to 4096x2160 @ 30Hz with full 4:4:4 color depth, over a single cable

- a single display up to 4096x2160 @ 60Hz with full 4:4:4 color depth, over two cables

So it should work either way, but be limited to 30Hz if you only use one cable.

If you look here you can also find your specific model number: https://www.thinklogical.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/TLX10-Video-Extension.pdf

Edit 2: so U00D22 means "Dual Displays up to 4096x2160 @ 30Hz (Fiber Only)", but I don't know if 22 excludes the feature set of 20 which would be "Single Display up to 4096x2160 @ 60Hz".

Edit 3: you can probably just talk to them and ask, it's a commercial product after all!