Hi oldcpu!
I have now tested these commands:
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l1compat.so wxcam:
olav@DDAmt:~>LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l1compat.so wxcam
Determining video4linux API version...
Using video4linux 2 API
VIDIOC_ENUM_FRAMESIZES: Invalid argument
Determining pixel format...
pixel format: JPEG
Found V4L2_PIX_FMT_JPEG pixel format
pixel format: RGB3
pixel format: BGR3
Found V4L2_PIX_FMT_BGR24 pixel format
libv4l2: error dequeuing buf: Input/output error
VIDIOC_DQBUF: Input/output error
olav@DDAmt:~>
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l2compat.so wxcam
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib64/libv4l/v4l1convert.so wxcam
LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib64/libv4l/v42convert.so wxcam
Preloading the convert.so instead was something I picked up on the Ubuntu forum, and the ‘v1’, ‘v2’ testing thing was just an impulse. I also tested Kopete with the preload command.
I have tried setting the various framesizes available spesifically, tried setting the various formats instead of the default ‘auto’, tried different ports (usb), and more … but no success.
It does not matter though, I’m going to buy a new uvc compatible camera as you suggested. And I have an old pc running SuSE 9.1, I might use the Philips camera on that one instead; they are basically the same age and might make a nice couple 
If you are interested in some more output details I did run an mplayer test:
olav@DDAmt:~> mplayer tv://
MPlayer dev-SVN-r33321-4.5-openSUSE Linux 11.4 (x86_64)-Packman (C) 2000-2011 MPlayer Team
Can't open joystick device /dev/input/js0: No such file or directory
Can't init input joystick
mplayer: could not connect to socket
mplayer: No such file or directory
Failed to open LIRC support. You will not be able to use your remote control.
Loading extension-related profile 'vo.vdpau'
Playing tv://.
TV file format detected.
Selected driver: v4l2
name: Video 4 Linux 2 input
author: Martin Olschewski <olschewski@zpr.uni-koeln.de>
comment: first try, more to come ;-)
v4l2: your device driver does not support VIDIOC_G_STD ioctl, VIDIOC_G_PARM was used instead.
Selected device: USB camera
Capabilities: video capture read/write streaming
supported norms:
inputs: 0 = sonixj;
Current input: 0
Current format: unknown (0x4745504a)
tv.c: norm_from_string(pal): Bogus norm parameter, setting default.
v4l2: ioctl enum norm failed: Invalid argument
Error: Cannot set norm!
Selected input hasn't got a tuner!
v4l2: ioctl set mute failed: Invalid argument
v4l2: ioctl query control failed: Invalid argument
==========================================================================
Forced video codec: ffmpeg12vdpau
Forced video codec: ffwmv3vdpau
Forced video codec: ffvc1vdpau
Forced video codec: ffh264vdpau
Forced video codec: ffodivxvdpau
Opening video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family
Selected video codec: [ffmjpeg] vfm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg MJPEG)
==========================================================================
Audio: no sound
Starting playback...
v4l2: select timeout
v4l2: select timeout
v4l2: select timeout
v4l2: select timeout
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 10/ 10 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 12/ 12 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 14/ 14 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 16/ 16 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 18/ 18 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 20/ 20 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 22/ 22 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 24/ 24 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 25/ 25 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 27/ 27 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 29/ 29 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 31/ 31 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 33/ 33 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
V: 0.0 35/ 35 ??% ??% ??,?% 0 0
v4l2: select timeout
v4l2: ioctl set mute failed: Invalid argument
v4l2: 0 frames successfully processed, 1 frames dropped.
Cheers,
Olav