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The LSA1501 is more like a distribution amplifier rather than a pre-amp.
Pre-amps are typically mounted outdoors very close to the antenna. Their primary purpose is to boost the RF signal coming from the antenna before the signal gets a chance to degrade much due to cable losses, splitters, and other things that cause the RF energy to dissipate. Pre-amps are especially useful in situations where there is very little signal to begin with, and it's important to preserve every bit of RF energy that you can before the signal falls back down to an unusable level.
Distribution amps also help overcome things like cable and splitter loss. However, then are usually installed further away from the antenna at an indoor location that has access to power and does not get exposed to the elements. The longer length of cable between the antenna and the distribution amp means that a little more signal loss will occur before the amplification takes place. Both types of amps help overcome the effects of signal loss that occur _after_ the amplifier (between amp and your TV).
The LSA1501 is specifically designed for cable systems. This means that they allow a "return path" that would normally go back into the cable network system. That "return path" allows communication back through the cable system for things like on-demand video or cable modem services. This feature is irrelevant when it comes to OTA signals since all it is doing it allowing certain signals to go back toward the antenna. This device can function as a distribution amplifier and you simply ignore the "return path" feature.
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