How to Connect a Kindle Fire HD to an HDTV

The Kindle Fire HD's HDMI capabilities make it easy to watch downloaded movies, streamed videos or even Web pages on your high-definition television set. By connecting the tablet to your HDTV's HDMI port, you create a wide-screen version of whatever's showing on the tablet's diplay; the only difference is that if you try to tap the TV screen, all you get is smudges. To make the connection, you need a standard cable you can find at most most electronics stores or online.

Obtain a standard HDMI-to-Micro-HDMI cable. This cable has a standard Type A HDMI connector at one end, and a smaller Type D Micro HDMI connector on the other. Don't get Micro HDMI confused with Mini HDMI, as the two type of connectors are not compatible. Get a cable no more than 25 feet long -- under 10 feet would be better -- because the image quality may degrade over longer distances. Cable prices start at under $10 as of September 2013.

Turn off both the tablet and the television set.

Plug the larger connector into your TV's HDMI input port. The port should clearly be marked "HDMI." If the set has more than one numbered HDMI port, try to use the first open port, although this choice won't matter on most TVs.

Plug the smaller connector into your Kindle Fire HD's HDMI port at the bottom edge of the tablet, next to the USB port for the charging cable.

Turn on your tablet and the TV.

Change the TV's input or signal source setting to "HDMI." You can do this from the TV remote or on the TV itself, in most cases. If your TV has more than one HDMI input port, select "HDMI 1," "HDMI 2," etc., depending on which port you used. Once you select the correct video source, the image from your tablet appears on the TV screen.