[Electronics-Talk] Fire stick and Apple TV

[Tracy Carcione]

Can someone explain to this old gal about the Fire stick and the Apple TV?
Do they hook into the TV, or into the cable box?  Do they only work with
smart TV's?  

I looked up both of them, and I saw that they are both small things, but the
Apple TV costs a lot more than the Fire stick, but what is it?  It's too
small to be an actual TV. 

I keep trying to understand these things, and I've googled, but what I've
found assumes a basic level of understanding I don't have. 

 

I've been using my iPhone to access various free TV apps, and I'm wondering
if one of these extra doodads would be better, though the phone is pretty
satisfactory. There is no one in my household who actually can see what's on
the TV. We only care about sound, and getting audio descriptions when
they're available.

Tracy