Does an Amplified Antenna Help?. The short answer is: maybe? We tested both amplified and older plug-and-play reference antennas in multiple areas, including in the middle of a moderately sized metro area and several miles outside it. Overall, we found little difference in the available channels or broadcast quality. That might change if you live 30-plus miles outside a broadcast area, or it might not, depending largely on geography. That said, most antennas currently available (and all of the ones on our current list) come with amplification.. Most amplified antennas we tested claim a 50- to 60-mile range from transmitters, but your mileage may vary. In some cases, amplification may even distort signals if you’re too close to the broadcast area, though we didn’t notice any such issues. Amplification can be turned off, but we got fewer channels when turning off amplified antennas than when using non-amplified antennas in the same area. As noted above, your first step is to check for what’s available in your area with a site like AntennaWeb.
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