When used with a properly installed antenna system, a preamplifier can add 10-15 miles of useful range. Most antennas don't meet that criteria, however, being either inadequately grounded, mounted or aimed to optimize reception.
In digital reception, a low-noise preamplifier can have the same effect, but is often misused as a band-aid for an inadequate antenna installation.
Digital reception is far more dependent upon signal QUALITY than it is signal quantity. Digital tuners can function with almost infinitesimally small amounts of a high-quality signal, but, especially earlier digital tuners, can be flummoxed by multipath signals and electrical impulse noise which a preamplifier is powerless to fix. When you fix the multipath and the electrical impulse noise problems, digital reception invariably improves.
A cable TV splitter is usually rated to pass 5-1000Mhz: Digital satellite splitters are usually rated to pass 40-2150Mhz. Either is acceptable for OTA reception, but neither type of splitter should be used between the preamplifier or it's power supply, as they will often not pass the Direct Current that powers the preamplifier.
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Real men don't use indoor antennas; neither do real women!
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