Monitor -- USB and audio I/O from single cable

[p-i-]

Is it possible to get a monitor so that a single cable from my MacBook will carry the video signal, as well as a USB, as well as audio I/O?

It feels like that would be such a sensible solution, but I can't find anything close.

I can find monitors that provide USB and audio I/O (e.g. https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...udio-webcam-compatible-with-mac-os-x.1735937/) but they all seem to require a bundle of cables.

My current DELL LCD has a socket for "speaker power", but no audio input, which makes me suspect maybe I could configure my MacBook to output audio through the thunderbolt, although I can't find any guide. Also it has USB. So maybe I can get away with two cables, and plug a USB flexible microphone into one of the USB ports.

Is there some mathematical proof that USB can't be supplied through the thunderbolt cable? I vaguely remember hearing that this was the case three years ago. Is that ever going to change?

π

 

[ColdCase]

A Apple TB monitor will do what you ask. Most monitors will do audio but not USB over a single Display Port or HDMI cable. A TB dock has all the outputs you want using one TB cable connected to your mac, this is what most here use.

These docks (and the Apple TB monitor) have SATA to USB converter chips built in which convert signals available from a TB interface chip to/from USB.