I joined Amazon Prime because I use Amazon a lot, so I decided to try out the video.  I download the app for iPad and try to watch a movie; but it turns out you can't watch Amazon Instant Video via AirPlay or HDMI cable either one.  Effectively, you can only watch it on the iPad.

So I get on the laptop and try it.  Here I have to upgrade to the latest version of Flash, which won't run on IE to save its life but it forces you to download the Google Chrome browser anyway.  So I use Google Chrome and try to watch a B-grade comedy... which won't connect over my massive broadband connection.  After 15 minutes on tech support and two laptop restarts, we get it going and watch the movie.

Next, I foolishly try to watch 300 in HD; but of course, you can't watch a movie in HD via the laptop.  You have to have a game console or Kindlefire HD for that.  So I get on the game console and after 20 minutes of updates, installs and registration, I finally get the movie going.

Am I being unreasonable to expect o be able to play HD movies through my HD resolution laptop?  Or to be able to actually show the video from my iPad on my TV? This service has been out for something like two years now?  What idiot thought this was ready for prime time?  Why even offer half-assed solutions for various devices?

No clue how to help you, my TV has an Amazon video app.
 

I can watch HD Amazon stuffs on my PC just fine.

I have the app on my iPhone and an Android tablet and they both play flawlessly.
Must be you.

get a 90$ roku box...

This. Get with the times OP.

+1, and on my laptops as well.

So, you don't know how to use it, don't actually read what you get, they help you get it working, and your answer is to bitch.


<<<<Amazon Prime, app on blu ray player to watch Amazon, watch it on laptop around the country as I travel. Seems to work pretty good in hotel rooms around the country. If you take a HDMI cable with you, you can watch it on the hotel television.

Never had occasion to use it. I have Netflix.

It drops me or lags from time to time. Could just be my internet connection. Overall, it's only a minor annoyance and overall, I am satisfied.

Use it on my iphone + imac all the time, zero issues.

What he said. EVERYTHING he said.

I have had no problem watching HD on Amazon Prime, either on my laptop or my PS3.

Piece of cake on a PS3. Not exactly 'difficult' on a computer. I admit that I've probably never tried HDMI out on the laptop.

I use it a few times per moth with the bride and we've had great luck on our Mac as well as our WIFI TV

My Roku kicks ass with Amazon Instant Video.

ETA - And you can get a Roku for well under $90.

ipads are soo 2012.

Roku is the shit. If you get one (no, not you OP, you would bitch about the setup), you gotta get the Plex app (also on PS3, etc.). Plex transcodes videos from your computer and streams them to your Roku; and, if you pay $5, your phone.

Which is awesome, because I can download torrents with odd formats (e.g. *.mkv) and stream them to my TV. I don't have cable any more, and the Roku is the only thing hooked up to the TV. Between Netflix and torrents, I'm pretty set.

I just bought a Sony Blu-Ray player (BDP-S590) that has amazon prime, netflix, etc etc built in, works great. $95 plus it has $20 amazon instant video credit.

My Sony Vio streams Amazon in HD with no problems.

The problem I have is that I only have DSL, so I can't wireless stream HD.

Regular definition works just fine and looks just as good.

I can run a cable from the DSL box to the laptop and then I can watch it in HD.

One of these days I am going to upgrade the wiring in the house.

Streams on our Android devices and Blu-Ray player just fine with crappy Time Warner service.

this...works perfectly for me.