Skype crashes a lot

Skype has a number of issues. I usually have to quit and restart a video chat before I can receive video because all I get is my video showing up but not the video from the other computer. So the screen is either filled with garbage lines and noise, sometimes the window is all green, sometimes its black. Quitting and restarting the video chat often fixes the problem with not receiving video from another computer. I use the skype video to monitor what's going on upstairs in the computer room.
Skype also quits a lot of the time when I start a video chat. Sometimes waiting a few minutes after starting Skype helps.
Also have problems with Skype on the mac not sending video sometimes. Its like it doesn't find the firewire ibot webcam.