Nothing will beat a tuned dipole. Anytime, without exception, you add a transformer (be it in the antenna or in the tuner) you lose power. I'm a show me knda guy, so over the years I have personally performed near-field tests of different antennas. For those that want the numbers, Chameleon was the best vertical (all tests on 20.250 mhz and 100 watts with CW carrier) at -43dbm at 100'. The best horizontal was a Buddipole at -82dbm. For comparison, a tuned dipole trimmed to 1:1.1 VSWR delivered 12dbm.
Now, you can make contacts with a T.V. antenna if you have a great tuner and 100 watts, The key though, at least for me, is effective radiated power. Also important to me is hearing. Remember, your received signal needs to travel through all of those windings and coils and other magical mystery material as well.
Disclaimer: I test for personal information only, just because I want to know. This is not a bash of anything or a promotion of anything else. I'm sure there are better methods than I use, and I share my findings so that maybe a few others don't piss away the money that I have searching for a magical antenna that, sadly, does not exist.