With the popularity of streaming media, the popularity of Amazon Prime (even with the price increase) and the availability of technology at our finger tips, this question has become a popular one around here on our site.
Many of you have asked, “How do I stream movies from Amazon?”
Or perhaps a simpler way of stating it, “How do I watch movies from Amazon?”
The reason why this is such a popular question too is because Amazon has over 40,000 movies and television shows that are available for Prime members for FREE to watch an unlimited number of times.
But it would be nice to watch them from more than just your computer on your Amazon account. So how do you do it?
Free or “No Additional Cost” Ways to Watch Movies and Shows From Amazon
- First, the most basic way to do this is to simply log-in to your Amazon account and pick one of the 40,000 Prime selections and watch directly from your computer.
- If you have one of these devices, you can watch them them “streaming” from it! From the handheld tablets, to smart phones, to game consoles, to smart TVs (televisions from the past few years with built in wi-fi and streaming technology), to DVR’s, to the newest Blu-Ray players. There are literally hundreds of devices that will allow you to stream a movie or show from Amazon (either on the tablet, phone or television).
The FIRST thing we recommend you do is to see if you happen to have any of these devices already in your home. If you do, then you just simply need to register that device and follow the set-up process to have this device connect to your Amazon Prime account and begin watching your movies or shows.
See the whole list of qualifying devices HERE and then register that device to begin.
Low Cost Ways to Watch Movies and Shows From Amazon
If you don’t have any of the devices shown in the link above, then you need to come up with other ways to stream movies and shows – probably most preferably to your television.
There is a lower cost way to do this – to basically turn your Amazon Prime account into a channel of 40,000 options available anytime on your television.
All you need for this option is:
- An HDMI cable
- A connecter to connect the HDMI cable to your computer output.
First, an HDMI cable is pretty much essential for every one with any sort of media these days. Many retailers try to jack up the prices on these and make a pretty penny for a nearly necessary item. We’ve seen ridiculous prices in the $30’s and $40’s, even Walmart’s value brand is $8. But, just like answering the call of movies and television shows at our fingertips, Amazon has an answer for this as well! You can get a high quality HDMI cable for less than $3 with the shipping HERE. And we have purchased this exact HDMI cable for a couple of devices and they have done their job perfectly.
However, the HDMI cable itself is usually not enough because you still need to attach the cord to your computer depending on what video output is required. Thankfully there are a handful of output types that most new computers use to connect to an external display. And likewise there are many lower cost cables you can buy that you can use. We have included some of the most popular below but we encourage you to confirm with your device’s user manual to make sure you are buying the right connector:
| Computer Connector | One place to look |
| HDMI ConnectorYou’re actually in luck as this connector means you can use a standard HDMI cable to connect to your TV. This is the one we’ve shared in the past and use for some of our devices. This should broadcast both the sound and video in high quality. | |
| DVI ConnectionIf your computer has this output then you can easily find a connector. Between the price, brand (Amazon themselves) and the 4.6/5 ranking this might be a good option. Please note this will only send the video to the TV; you will need speakers to listen to the sound. | |
| VGA ConnectorIf the connector on your computer is a VGA then the next place to check is your TV. Often (on ours as well) there is a VGA input so you can just plug in a standard device. Please note this will provide you video only however and you will need to use speakers for the sound. | |
| Mini Display Port (Mac)If you are a Mac user then depending on the model you might have a Mini-Display port. Similar to the last couple of options, this will only transmit the video to the TV so you will need to use speakers for the sound. | |
| Something else?Amazon has a guide/tutorial to help you walk through the other options. As always, we encourage you to consider the number of reviews and rating to help you make your purchase. | Amazon’s Guide |
In the end, you may be able to set this up for under $10 and stream from your computer, laptop or mobile device.
More Convenient, but Higher Cost Options
Finally, if you want to invest around $40-$90, you can walk away with a device that will basically turn your television into a “multi-media” experience. What I mean is it is like turning your television into a smart phone or tablet with a bunch of apps….. that you run from your television and the Roku remote! One of those “televisions apps” is an Amazon Channel, that you “turn” to just like a television station. From there, you can search and browse the options for movies and television shows.
It is a streaming media player…… it is listed on the first post as one of the dozens of devices – so if you already have one, GREAT! If not, you might want to seriously consider investing in one.
We invested in a Roku Media Player (you can see a list of available models from refurbished to newer options all with free shipping) a few years ago. It does SO much and it has an Amazon Channel that allows us to watch any of the 40,000 FREE movies and shows for Prime Members with just a few clicks of the Roku remote (you can also download an app to make your smart phone a remote as well). Or we can rent a movie from the other thousands of movie and show selections that are not part of the 40,000 free ones and we don’t have to leave home.
This device replaced our cable television and we have saved hundreds a year for the past few years. We purchased a basic model (around $50) and it has served us wonderfully. We have a full article on what a Roku is with we we invested in it, and we would recommend that you read that as it is too much information to repeat here!
Sabra Van Name
We are going to get rid of cable!! We have an Amazon Prime account, now my question is, is the Roku better or are they different to a Blu Ray! We live in the country and are thinking of getting an attenae. I have a computer, Kindle Fire and a Smart phone. Thank you
Harmonie M.
Sandra, I have a first gen Roku (it’s close to 10 yrs old) and I absolutely love it. Besides being able to stream from Amazon, it has a lot of other options too. Some are free and others require a subscription to that service (you pay a yearly fee to Amazon or Netflix, but can access it from several devices) I also can get Pandora to listen to music, plus news stations. Some of these services are accessible on our gaming console also, which is why I have the Roku in the spareroom. While my husband watches in the living room I can watch something else in the spare room. Just keep in mind you will need a good WiFi connection with a fast bit rate and keep an eye on your usage so you don’t exceeded your monthly limit (We don’t have unlimited internet in my area) just check with your internet provider and let them know that you will be streaming movies and shows and they will help you select the correct speed and limit, if they don’t offer unlimited. You would have to check your blu-ray player to see if it has the ability to connect to those services. My son’s connects to some internet content but is limited to the preloaded ‘channels’ and Amazon is not one them. You’ll have to research your model.
Harmonie M.
Sorry auto correct on my Kindle changed your name, Sabra.
Tammy
I just picked up the ROKU LT a couple of weeks ago on amazon for $35.00
we are in love with it!! Highly recommend!
Linda$)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Roku. The way I picked one up was to use my rewards points on my credit card. I chose an Amazon gift card when cashing out my points on my Visa. Then, I used my Discover rewards points through Amazon. If you have rewards points on your Discover card, Amazon will apply those to your purchase. End result?? I paid $0 out of pocket for my Roku. As soon as I got it in the mail, I got rid of my DirecTV. We are now saving $100/mo by just watching through Roku, as we already had Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime! Best thing of all, my son told me the other day that he really doesn’t miss the DirecTv that much…whew, I was worried he would!!
Ben Mehling
I did not see Chromecast on the list. I may have over looked it, but Google wasn’t even on the manufacturer list so I don’t think. You can use Chromecast to cast your Amazon Prime tab in Chrome to your TV as well. This actually applies to literally any streaming media. The only downside is that if the source doesn’t support Chromecast directly, then you will have to have the video playing fullscreen on your computer to get it fullscreen on the TV. Additionally, check out Plex (website link) to stream any media on your computer to your TV via Chromecast as well.
Ben Mehling
I’ll also mention that Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Google Play Movies, and others natively support Chromecast (full list in website link).
Brandi
I am interested in this! We spend way too much on Directv. My only concern is, my kids watch tv on the weekends and the only show my hubby and I watch is the walking dead, is that watchable on this???
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