Streaming Amazon Prime on TV set

[midwestlily]

I feel like an idiot, but I have no idea how to go about setting this up.  

I have a flat-screen TV, about 7 years old, hooked up to cable and DVR (also have internet).  I've never streamed anything on the TV.  I'd like to sign up for Amazon Prime so I can watch some specific films (plus other benefits), but I don't know how to go about using it on the TV, and my friends have not been helpful.  One says that she "just connects her Mac to the TV," but I don't know how to do that, and I'd rather not have to keep hooking up my MacBook Air to the TV, then unhooking it when I need to take it to work.  Plus I don't want a cable running to the TV from where I use the Mac.  Another friend says that he only watches DVDs on his TV, so I assume he watches Amazon Prime on his Mac.  I suppose I could do that too, or watch videos on my iPad, but why would I do that when I have a nice big 32-inch TV to watch stuff on?  (Okay, not that big, but much bigger than the tablet or the Mac screen.)

Do I need one of those Roku things?  Maybe some other gadget?  Maybe I just need the right cable to run from the TV to, uhm, somewhere?  Maybe there's a Streaming TV site for Dummies site that one of you could direct me to?

If any of you could tell me how you do this sort of thing, I would be very grateful!

[justme]

You need to either hook up your computer to the TV or buy a device that allows you to stream. I believe Roku, Chrome, Fire TV all let you watch Amazon Prime. 

[Deleted]

We have a Roku on one TV, a Fire on the other. While we do have other devices that can stream to tv (wii)... it was easier for us in the end just to spend the dollars to have the unit that just did streaming.

The Roku currently has more channels than Fire, but since I mainly use Amazon and Netflix it doesn't really matter to me at this point.

[midwestlily]

Thank you both!!!  I think I'll just go with the Roku.

[sheilaincali]

We have the Roku- Once you plug it in and hook it up to the internet installation is a SNAP. Seriously I'm basically a luddite and I was able to do it. 

When you go to your "home screen" it will show you all of the channels you have (you get a bunch of random ones for free) so you just use the remote to scroll over to the channel you want and click right on it. We mostly use Netflix, Amazon and Hulu Plus.

[Deleted]

you can also stream with an Xbox or Wii in case you already have one of these.  our blur-ray player also streams.

[Deleted]

Oh, I also use pandora on my roku/fire.