Guides › Getting started
What you need
Which Apple TV Theatrium runs on, which models get the full-detail music visualizer, and what the companion iPhone app is for.
The short answer
Theatrium needs an Apple TV running tvOS 18 or later. That covers Apple TV HD and every Apple TV 4K (1st, 2nd and 3rd generation). If your Apple TV has updated itself in the last couple of years, it can run Theatrium.
Apple TV models
| Model | Chip | Runs Theatrium? |
|---|---|---|
| Apple TV HD | A8 | Runs, with a one-time notice — see below |
| Apple TV 4K (1st gen, 2017) | A10X Fusion | Yes — full app, visualizer at reduced detail |
| Apple TV 4K (2nd gen, 2021) | A12 Bionic | Yes — full detail |
| Apple TV 4K (3rd gen, 2022) | A15 Bionic | Yes — full detail |
Theatrium's dashboard and its real-time music visualizer are built around the Apple TV 4K, so on an Apple TV HD the app shows a short screen explaining that the visuals are tuned for 4K and may run slowly or drop frames. You can choose Continue Anyway and use the app at your own pace; nothing is blocked.
The music visualizer on older hardware
The 2017 Apple TV 4K (A10X Fusion) runs every visual, but the app renders them at a lower internal resolution and with less fine detail than the newer 4K models, so they stay smooth rather than stutter. You will not see a setting for this; Theatrium chooses it automatically for the chip it is running on. If a scene ever looks rough on that model, switching Settings › Visualizations › Visualizer Engine to Video Loops (Theatrium Pro) gives the smoothest result on older hardware, because it plays back a pre-rendered clip rather than drawing the scene live.
A smart home is optional
Theatrium works three ways, and you choose one during setup:
- Home Assistant — every card, including notifications, energy and health cards.
- Apple Home (with or without Homebridge bridging non-HomeKit accessories) — your lights, thermostats, locks, blinds, scenes, sensors and cameras.
- No smart home at all — weather, radar, news, calendar, webcams, markets and your music still fill the dashboard. See Using Theatrium with no smart home.
You are not locked into your choice; it can be changed later from Settings › Connections. See First setup, Connect Home Assistant and Connect Apple Home.
The companion iPhone app
A free companion app, separate from Theatrium for Apple TV, is optional. It runs on an iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or later, pairs with Theatrium over your home Wi-Fi, and lets you switch visuals, control lights and music, manage countdowns and timers, and type long addresses or names on a real keyboard instead of the TV remote. Short Stay hosts also use it to fill in the guest house guide. See The Theatrium app for iPhone and iPad.