I need an antenna for a TV that doesn’t have a cable hook up. I notice that there are 2 versions: Amplified (which needs to be plugged into an AC outlet) and Passive which uses no electricity.
What’s the diff? Will the amplified one really work better or is it just a gimmick?
It may depend on your situation and your television in particular. If you have distant, weak television stations and little interference and an older television whose front end amplifier is weak, an amplified antenna may fix it. If this isn’t the case, the amplified antenna may be amplifying competing noise along with the signal you want, and amplification may do you no good.
The amplification is probably a real feature of the antenna, which in some cases is useful, but it doesn’t guarantee good performance.
A big piece of well designed hardware up in the air and carefully aimed comes much closer to guaranteeing performance.
Amplification can indeed help. However, if you’re trying to pull in weak distant signals you should not only be using an amplified antenna but a directional one as well. I use one myself to pull in signals that are 30+ miles away. However, as was said, it can also amplify noise, though I think that’s more of a problem with an analog signal.
If the (amplified) antenna is hooked up to the TV, but not plugged in, does it the work like a passive one, or does it then not help at all?
Acts passive, as far as I can tell. As I said to someone else, try www.antennaweb.org