Magnavox Odyssey 400
 | |
| An Odyssey 400 with its box and instruction booklet | |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | The Magnavox Company |
| Type | Dedicated home video game console |
| Released | 1976[1][2] |
| CPU | None; seven integrated circuits (Magnavox IC1 to IC7)[3][4] |
| Memory | None |
| Storage | — |
| Display | Black and white, RF output on VHF channel 3 or 4[5][6][7] |
| Sound | Beep from a built-in ceramic speaker, with an on/off switch[7][4] |
| Power | Six C cells or a 9 V AC adaptor[6] |
| OS / Firmware | — |
| Predecessor | Magnavox Odyssey 200 |
| Model no. | BG7516[6] |
The Magnavox Odyssey 400 (model BG7516) is a dedicated home video game console made by Magnavox from 1976. It plays the Odyssey 200's three games, Smash, Tennis and Hockey, in black and white, with two or four players on the screen in Tennis and Hockey, and adds digital on-screen scores and an automatic serve.[6][8][1] Each player has three knobs for vertical position, horizontal position and the ball's path.[8][7]
History
[edit | edit source]Pong-Story describes the Odyssey 400 as the improved Odyssey 200 with digital scoring that Magnavox had been developing when it brought out the Magnavox Odyssey 300. Wikipedia gives a 1976 release at US$100.[2][1] The scores are large digits shown only after a point, and a "W" appears on the winner's side at the end of a game; the mechanical score sliders of the 200 were dropped.[2][1][8]
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Item | Minimum | Normal | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulated supply at IC1 pin 3 | 4.5 V | 5.0 V | 5.5 V |
| Current drain | – | 65 mA | – |
| Vertical sync frequency | 59 Hz | 60 Hz | 61 Hz |
| Vertical sync pulse amplitude | 2.8 V | 4.0 V | – |
| Vertical sync pulse width | 300 µs | 317.5 µs | 340 µs |
| Horizontal sync frequency | 15.704 kHz | 15.734 kHz | 15.784 kHz |
| Horizontal sync pulse amplitude | 3.5 V | 4.0 V | – |
| Horizontal sync pulse width | 4.0 µs | – | 8.0 µs |
| RF carrier, channel 3 | 61.22 MHz | 61.25 MHz | 61.28 MHz |
| RF carrier, channel 4 | 67.22 MHz | 67.25 MHz | 67.28 MHz |
| RF output into 300 Ω | 1100 µV | – | 1600 µV |
The sync pulse figures differ from those Magnavox gives for the Odyssey 100 and 200, whose vertical sync pulse is 180 µs to 250 µs wide.[6][9]
Hardware
[edit | edit source]Integrated circuits
[edit | edit source]| Ref | Magnavox part | Functions (Magnavox) |
|---|---|---|
| IC1 | 612086-1 | Voltage regulator, vertical sync generator, horizontal sync generator, right wall generator, rebound circuitry |
| IC2 | 612087-1 | Right player generator, left player generator |
| IC3 | 612088-1 | Left wall generator, ball generator |
| IC4 | 612087-1 | Right back court player generator, left back court player generator |
| IC5 | 612089-1 | Video summer, video output, audio pulse generator, logic circuitry |
| IC6 | 612108-1 | Automatic scoring circuitry |
| IC7 | 612084-1 | Automatic serving circuitry |
IC1 to IC5 carry the same Magnavox part numbers as on the Magnavox Odyssey 200, but the scoring chip is a different part (612108 against the 200's 612090) and IC7, the serving chip, is new.[4][2] The BG7516 parts list gives every IC the suffix -1, and the schematic prints fixed values for the timing capacitors, for example 0.47 µF polyester and 2200 pF ceramic on IC2 (C40 to C43), where the Odyssey 100 and 200 manual uses a table of values for four IC groups.[4][10]
Power
[edit | edit source]The console runs from six C cells or a 9 V AC adaptor that plugs into a socket at the top back of the console. Magnavox's booklet advises taking the cells out if the console is normally run from the adaptor, to prevent damage from leaking cells.[7][6] The 9 V supply passes the power switch S1, the 470 µF capacitor C2 and a 68 µH coil, L3, to IC1 pin 2; IC1's own regulator then supplies 5 V from pin 3.[10][3] Magnavox's chart gives 9.6 V on IC1 pin 2 and 5.2 V on pin 3.[3]
Controls
[edit | edit source]The top of the console has three knobs for each player (vertical, horizontal and ball control, also called English), the CENTER knob (R55, which positions the centre line or left wall) and the SPEED knob (R51), the GAME switch (Smash, Tennis, Hockey), the PLAYER/RESET switch (2 or 4 players) and the POWER switch.[8][4] Moving the PLAYER/RESET switch to its other position resets the score to 0-0, and the power switch carries the ball reset contacts.[8][10] With the switch at 4, each side has a second, fixed player whose horizontal position is preset inside the console and which follows the main player's vertical movement.[8]
Under the bottom cabinet are the battery compartment, the channel switch (to the right of the compartment, set to channel 3 at the factory), the sound switch (to the left) and holes for the vertical and horizontal frequency, right wall, goal position and fixed player controls.[7] The board also carries the rebound, blanking and scoring oscillator controls described in the service manual.[11][12] The procedures are on Magnavox Odyssey 400 General Maintenance.
Scoring and serve
[edit | edit source]After each point the score appears in the upper middle of the screen for a short time, then disappears and the ball is served automatically from the side that lost the point. The first player or team to 20 points wins, and a "W" appears on the winner's side. After 20 points the ball is still served, but the score does not increase until it is reset.[8][7]
Board and television connection
[edit | edit source]The board is marked 210996-9; the Odyssey 100 and 200 boards are 210996-1 and 210996-3.[13][14] The console connects to the television's 300 Ω VHF terminals through an antenna/game switch box, 701702-3, with game cable assembly 461218-5.[15][7]
Troubleshooting
[edit | edit source]Magnavox's service manual has no symptom chart, but it gives a voltage chart for every IC pin and transistor and the full set of adjustments. Symptoms, checks and the chart are on Magnavox Odyssey 400 Troubleshooting Guide; the electrolytic capacitors are listed on Magnavox Odyssey 400 Capacitor Replacement Guide.[3][12]
Documentation
[edit | edit source]Magnavox Service Manual No. 6505 for the BG7516 and the Odyssey 400 instruction booklet IB 2985-1 are hosted on the wiki and described on Magnavox Odyssey 400 Documentation.[6][7]
Gallery
[edit | edit source]-
Board top view with the service adjustments (Service Manual No. 6505, p. 6505-4) -
Main board, component view (p. 6505-5)
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Related pages
[edit | edit source]- Magnavox Odyssey 400 General Maintenance
- Magnavox Odyssey 400 Troubleshooting Guide
- Magnavox Odyssey 400 Capacitor Replacement Guide
- Magnavox Odyssey 400 Documentation
- Magnavox Odyssey 200, the model it replaced
- Magnavox Odyssey 500
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wikipedia, "Magnavox Odyssey series" (retrieved 2026-10-19), section on the Odyssey 400: 1976 release at US$100, automatic serve and digital scoring added to the Odyssey 200 design, and the mechanical score sliders dropped.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 David Winter, Pong-Story, "Other Magnavox Odyssey systems" (retrieved 2026-10-19): the Odyssey 300, 400 and 500 of 1976, the Odyssey 400's digital on-screen scoring with an extra Texas Instruments chip, its large scores shown when the ball is lost and the "W" at the end of a game, and the table of Magnavox models.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Magnavox, Service Manual No. 6505, November 1976, p. 6505-3: voltage charts for IC1 to IC7 and transistors Q1, Q2, Q4, Q5 and Q13 (VTVM; Tennis; players switch at 2; sound on; channel 3; players centred; ball volleying), notes 1 to 14, and the IC functions. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 400 Service Manual 6505.pdf.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Magnavox, Service Manual No. 6505, November 1976, p. 6505-10: BG7516 replacement parts list (coils, capacitors with type, value, rating and part number, controls and switches, semiconductors, miscellaneous) and cabinet replacement parts list. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 400 Service Manual 6505.pdf.
- ↑ Nerdly Pleasures, "Sears (Atari) Tele-games Pong vs Magavox Odyssey 100 - Battle of the First Pong Consoles", 7 August 2022 (retrieved 2026-10-19): the later Odyssey models, with the 300, 400, 2000 and 3000 in black and white and only the 500 and 4000 in colour; and the faults the author fixed on an Odyssey 100 (walls and players not filled in until the blanking was set, a noisy channel switch, dirty ball reset contacts). Owner's hands-on report.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 The Magnavox Company, Service Manual No. 6505: BG7516 Odyssey, first issue, November 1976, p. 6505-1: general information (6 C cells or an optional AC to DC 9 V adapter; Hockey, Tennis and Smash; two or four players in Tennis and Hockey; digital on-screen scoring) and the specifications table. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 400 Service Manual 6505.pdf.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 The Magnavox Company, Odyssey 400 Installation and Game Rules, IB 2985-1, 1976: introduction and automatic features (p. 2), the antenna-game switch and game cord (pp. 3 and 4), battery installation and the channel switch (p. 4), the sound switch and adjusting the television (p. 5), customising the console (p. 6), the control panel (p. 7), the player controls (p. 8), Smash (pp. 9 and 10), Tennis (pp. 11 and 12), Hockey (pp. 13 and 14), the performance check list (p. 15). Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 400 Installation and Game Rules IB2985-1.pdf.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Magnavox, Service Manual No. 6505, November 1976, p. 6505-2: typical operation (Tennis), the digital on-screen scoring, automatic serve and 20-point game, four-player operation, and the top view of the BG7516 with its controls and switches. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 400 Service Manual 6505.pdf.
- ↑ The Magnavox Company, Service Manual No. 6503: YF7010 & YF7015 Odyssey, February 1976, p. 6503-1: photographs of the YF7010 (Odyssey 100) and YF7015 (Odyssey 200) and their specifications. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 100 and 200 Service Manual 6503.pdf.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Magnavox, Service Manual No. 6505, November 1976, pp. 6505-7 to 6505-9: BG7516 schematic diagram, with capacitor values and electrolytic voltage ratings, IC6 (612108), IC7 (612084) and Q13, the RF section and the antenna switch board. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 400 Service Manual 6505.pdf.
- ↑ Magnavox, Service Manual No. 6505, November 1976, p. 6505-4: top view of the board (service adjustments), showing the adjustment controls, player controls, switches S1 to S5, IC1 to IC7, Q4, Q5, Q13 and battery terminals W1 and W2. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 400 Service Manual 6505.pdf.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Magnavox, Service Manual No. 6505, November 1976, p. 6505-6: service adjustments (horizontal and vertical frequency, blanking width and centring with Figure 1, top and bottom rebound, right wall, goal opening, score indicator position, right and left fixed players). Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 400 Service Manual 6505.pdf.
- ↑ Magnavox, Service Manual No. 6505, November 1976, p. 6505-5: main P.C. board (component view), board 210996-9. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 400 Service Manual 6505.pdf.
- ↑ Magnavox, Service Manual No. 6503, February 1976, pp. 6503-7 and 6503-8: YF7010 and YF7015 main board component views, boards 210996-1 and 210996-3. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 100 and 200 Service Manual 6503.pdf.
- ↑ Magnavox, Service Manual No. 6505, November 1976, p. 6505-11: antenna/game switch replacement parts list and drawing. Hosted as File:Magnavox Odyssey 400 Service Manual 6505.pdf.