Subject: Re: pwc - Philips USB webcam
To: None <tech-kern@netbsd.org>
From: Klaus Heinz <k.heinz.nov.zwei@onlinehome.de>
List: tech-kern
Date: 11/25/2002 03:51:22
Love wrote:

> I wrote a driver for the philips webcam (PCVC730K) should work for simular
> models with some tweeking (not true for PCVC665K and PCVC720K)

If it's based on the information from the Linux driver (sponsored by
Philips) then all of the Philips webcams in src/sys/dev/usb/usbdevs.h
might work (including my 675K :-) because that is where I got the data.

> It needs some more work so it can change format/brightness/etc when
> running. Also, it doesn't have support for the lossy compression that is
> needed for higher resolution.

The Linux driver has a binary part 'PWCX' (available for i386 and PPC, I
think) containing proprietary algorithms by Philips. Did you consider
including support for the interface to this binary module?

> There is no video framework for netbsd, should there ?

The last time I searched for information about webcams on NetBSD I only
found references to pkgsrc/graphics/vid. I remember someone on the
mailing lists suggesting to look at the video4linux API because this
already has some application support.

I have seen requests for support of webcams in FreeBSD usenet groups
recently, but I don't know whether there is someone working on this for
FreeBSD. 

ciao
     Klaus