iChat vs. Skype video/audio quality

[why so serious]

I don't know, my skype always seems to do much better than iChat, that is if iChat doesn't have any connection problems

 

[Flynnstone]

I find iChat a bag of hurt.
Skype works like iChat should. "It just works!"

 

[AVR2]

We gave up on iChat years ago - just way too unreliable when trying to connect to a PC. Never have any Mac-to-PC problems with Skype.

 

[Tweeksy]

still the case

With modern versions of Skype and iChat, and with mac-mac video calling (over the Internet), is Skype still better?

Use Mac-PC skyping at the moment, but be more persuaded to upgrade the Mrs to a Mac if there is a big difference.

 

[ziggyonice]

With modern versions of Skype and iChat, and with mac-mac video calling (over the Internet), is Skype still better?

Use Mac-PC skyping at the moment, but be more persuaded to upgrade the Mrs to a Mac if there is a big difference.

What I have found is this:

When the host has a fast Internet connection, iChat has better quality — the video and audio sound fantastic. But this also requires that both the host and the receiver have to have the right ports open on their connection, etc., which means that there are several factors that could cause problems with a connection being established.

With Skype, the quality is not as nice as what iChat has to offer, but connections tend to be more reliable. Skype figures that people just want to see each other — and it works just like that. Sure the video doesn't look as crystal clear as iChat's does, but Skype also requires very little setup (compared to iChat, in which every factor of the Internet connection must be taken into account).

So... iChat has better quality when using a good connection and open ports. But is less reliable because sometimes people aren't able to change the ports and settings for their connections.

And... Skype is more reliable because it "just works," regardless of the connection type or port settings — but, at the expense of losing a quality video stream.