You can only see traffic on the Nav display that TCAS decides may become, or has become, a potential threat. All you see are the point position, and digital numbers showing how much higher or lower they are than you, and if they are changing altitude, an up or down arrow next to the altitude differential reading. nothing else. Normal displays only indicate threats within a band of 2000' either above or below. Some sets have a switch up or down that will expand the indication band to within 7000' above or below your current altitude, but this is not normally bothered with.
In practice, as only potential threats are displayed, you only see aeroplanes within a short range. On parallel courses, only traffic within a very few miles is displayed. opposite direction traffic 1000' above or below can be displayed 40 miles or so away. So what the pilot sees is a cloud of aeroplanes around him in close range all going the same rough direction, and nothing in the rest of the massive Nav display, and the occasional opposite direction shooting down from ahead at high speed. It gives the feeling that you are in a formation of aeroplanes aall going the same way, with nothing else about.
Close, but in my opinion, no cigar.
As far as I am concerned (and it is obvious that there are several different variations of TCAS installations)...
TCAS on a standard B737 installation as described by Rainboe is shown visually as traffic, above and below, of 2700 feet (not sure where the 2000ft quote came from? Maybe they have a different software?
Also, traffic advisories, etc are based on a TIME to potential conflict, and I quote from our current Boeing Vol 2...
TCAS identifies a three dimensional airspace around the
airplane where a high likelihood of traffic conflict exists. The dimensions of this
airspace are based upon the closure rate with conflicting traffic.
TCAS equipment interrogates the transponders of other airplanes to determine
their range, bearing, and altitude. A traffic advisory (TA) is generated when the
other airplane is approximately 40 seconds from the point of closest approach. If
the other airplane continues to close, a resolution advisory (RA) is generated when
the other airplane is approximately 25 seconds from the point of closest approach.
The RA provides aural warning and guidance as well as maneuver guidance to
maintain or increase separation from the traffic.
Non–transponder equipped airplanes are invisible to TCAS. RAs can be generated
if the other airplane has a mode C transponder. Coordinated RAs require both
airplanes to have TCAS.