This time, with an episode of "The Walking Dead" and when within five feet of our test router, the iPad delivered a quality, but sub-HD version of the episode, while Fire continued to push out a better-looking HD image. With Netflix streaming, I saw something very similar. I'm about to stream an episode of "Louie." The excitement is overwhelming. Both tablets have access to the Amazon Instant Video service. The Fire HD continued to play in HD for another half block or so (about 100 feet) before it too stopped playing the show. The iPad's signal was strong, but decidedly SD.Īfter leaving the building and traveling about 20 feet from CNET's front door, the iPad lost the streaming signal, giving me only the spinning circle of death. Both tablets played without a hiccup during this time however, only the Fire HD displayed and maintained an HD signal. I then walked around the building, eventually leaving the building with both tablets, while the episode continued to play. I began by streaming the same episode of "Breaking Bad" through Amazon Instant Video on each tablet over CNET's internal Wi-Fi network. When you take into account the vision behind each tablet, it's not too surprising which provides the better video-streaming experience. The iPad also has access to those same streaming services, so I tested both tablets using Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. The Kindle Fire HD has three main video-streaming options: Netflix, Hulu Plus, and of course, if you're a Prime member, Amazon Instant Video. With the iPad being the "everything" tablet in this comparison, I'll focus on comparing the two in categories both tablets are capable of, while also pointing out the strengths of each. The following is an attempt to make that choice a bit easier. However, most people shopping for a tablet don't have the funds to afford both (not that I'm at all encouraging anyone purchase both) and will therefore have to choose. The iPad is a "does everything" tablet, while the Fire HD remains focused on media consumption. The iPad and Kindle Fire HD are two different tablets intended for slightly different market segments. The Kindle Fire HD includes simple text, a feature that allows it to display articles from magazines in more of a Kindle book format.