website/content/museum/magnavox-odyssey-400.md

title, categories, origins, years, cpus, params

title	categories	origins	years	cpus	params
MAGNAVOX Odyssey 400	Pongs	U.S.A.	1976	discrete components	name image company company_name specs tabs forum_thread photos links related software oc_id source Odyssey 400 /media/museum/photos/magnavox_odyssey400_1s.jpg /companies/magnavox MAGNAVOX label value NAME Odyssey 400 label value MANUFACTURER Magnavox label value ORIGIN U.S.A. label value YEAR 1976 label value BUILT IN LANGUAGE tennis, hockey, smash label value KEYBOARD 3 knobs for each player (vertical movements, horizontal movements, english effect) label value CPU discrete components + Texas Instruments chips label value SPEED none label value CO-PROCESSOR game selection, number of players (2 or 4), channel selection (3 or 4), sound (ON/OFF), power ON/OFF label value RAM on screen scoring (digital numbers) label value COLORS Black & white label value SOUND Built-in speaker ? label value SIZE / WEIGHT Unknown label value I/O PORTS RF TV video output label value OS 6 x C cell batteries label value POWER SUPPLY 9V DC, 100 mA external PSU - -(o- + label value PERIPHERALS no label value PRICE 100$ (USA, 1977) photos software links 1247 title subtitle text image ODYSSEY 400 /media/museum/photos/magnavox_odyssey400_1.jpg title subtitle text image BELOW /media/museum/photos/magnavox_odyssey400_under_1.jpg title subtitle text image CONTROL PANEL The two little knobs at the top are used to adjust "center" (left) and speed (right). At the bottom, left switch is used to select game (smash, tennis or hockey) while the right one is used to toggle 2-paddle or 4-paddle game (relevant for tennis & hockey). /media/museum/photos/magnavox_odyssey400_cp_1.jpg title subtitle text image CENTER & SPEED KNOBS /media/museum/photos/magnavox_odyssey400_center-speed.jpg title subtitle text image SWITCHES /media/museum/photos/magnavox_odyssey400_switches.jpg title subtitle text image RIGHT PLAYER CONTROLS There are 3 knobs. There are used for:\ - vertical movement\ - horizontal movement\ - english effect (deflection) /media/museum/photos/magnavox_odyssey400_controls.jpg title subtitle text image BOX Thanks to [Chronogamer](http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=87&) for this picture /media/museum/photos/magnavox_odyssey400_box_1.jpg title subtitle text image BOX #2 /media/museum/photos/magnavox_odyssey400_box_2.jpg title subtitle text image BOX DETAIL /media/museum/photos/magnavox_odyssey400_box_detail_1.jpg title url text Chronogamer http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=87&showentry=536 Odyssey 400 review from this excellent blog title url text www.atariarchives.org http://www.atariarchives.org/bcc2/showpage.php?page=278 This excellent web site has a scan of an old article about some Odyssey systems title url text www.pong-story.com http://www.pong-story.com/odyssey_other.htm Odyssey dedicated page. Excellent website. /museum/magnavox-odyssey-100 /museum/magnavox-odyssey-200 /museum/magnavox-odyssey-2000 /museum/magnavox-odyssey-300 /museum/magnavox-odyssey-500 /software/hockey-623 /software/smash-624 /software/tennis-622 1282 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20230614011037/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1282 2023-06-14

In 1976, Magnavox released the Odyssey 400. It played the same games as the Odyssey 200 and used an additional Texas Instruments chip to display digital on-screen scoring (it was the first Odyssey system to display digital on-screen scoring).

On-screen scoring was quite well designed. As a matter of fact, the scores were large and were only shown when the ball was lost, and a large 'W' letter was displayed on the winner's side when the games were over. Like the Odyssey 100 and 200, the Odyssey 400 used the same three knobs to move the bats and control the "english" effect on the ball.

Basically, the Odyssey 400 is essentially an updated Odyssey 200 with mainly an addition of automatic serve and on-screen digital scoring.

Promotional text from the box:

- Works on any TV... color or black & white
- Digital on-screen scoring
- Action sound
- Verical, horizontal, speed and english controls
- Automatic serve
- Hockey goalie/tennis doubles switch

---

Source: www.pong-story.com

We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.