Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Retro TV Family-History Deck agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The hps-retro-tv skill is an add-on for an AI agent that builds a single HTML file styled like a 1980s picture-tube TV, with a warm cream background, scanlines and amber and brick-red accents. It is aimed at families and individuals who want to present a personal life story, such as one built from home movies, as a visual slideshow. By the end of this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for a deck in plain language, and what to check before sharing the result.
Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the hps-retro-tv ZIP from this page.
- 2Unzip the skill. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 3Or upload it in the apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill.
- 4Describe your story. Ask the agent for an HTML slide deck about your family history, naming the audience and the home movies you have.
- 5Answer the agent's questions. Provide any missing essentials, such as the audience, the decision target and any must-keep details.
- 6Open the HTML file. View the generated deck in a web browser and check the content before sharing.
What does the hps-retro-tv skill make the agent do?
An agent skill is a folder of instructions and assets that an AI agent loads when your request matches it. This one tells the agent to build a self-contained HTML slide presentation in a retro TV style. You describe a story, for example a family history drawn from home movies, and the agent fills a provided template with your content.
The agent also plans the slides, writes speaker notes and suggests a visual structure. The skill is a single-theme template, so the design stays fixed. The agent is instructed to keep the design and keyboard-navigation code intact and only replace the content.
- Output: one HTML file that opens in a web browser.
- Slides: a cover, a table of contents, section dividers, content pages and a closing page, based on the seed file example.html.
- Extras: speaker notes and animations are part of the template.
Install the skill from the ZIP or the Claude apps
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. To make the skill available everywhere on your computer, place the unzipped folder in ~/.claude/skills/. To limit it to one project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder instead.
If you use the Claude apps rather than a folder-based setup, you can upload the skill under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
- Personal use: ~/.claude/skills/
- Single project: the .claude/skills/ folder inside that project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Check that your agent can run the skill
The skill needs an agent that can read and write files, such as Claude Code or another agent that supports the SKILL.md format. You also need a web browser to view the finished HTML file.
Internet access is optional. The deck imports fonts from Google Fonts, and if that access is blocked the fonts fall back to system defaults. The skill does not run scripts.
- Agent that reads and writes files (Claude Code or a SKILL.md-compatible agent)
- A web browser to view the HTML file
- Optional: internet access for Google Fonts
How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
You do not need special syntax. Describe the story you want to tell and ask for an HTML slide deck. The skill's trigger terms include phrases such as html deck, html slides, photo-essay and personal story, so requests using those words are the most likely to load it.
Give the agent the material it needs. Useful details include who the audience is, what the deck should achieve, which home movies or photos are the source, and which dates or numbers must stay exact. The agent may ask for these essentials before it writes slides.
- Ask for a family-history deck built from specific home movies.
- Name the audience, such as family or close friends.
- Say which details must stay exactly as written.
- Ask for speaker notes if you plan to present the deck.
Example requests and what you get back
A useful request names the subject, the audience and the structure. For example, you might ask for a deck covering five decades of home movies, with an opening question, one slide per era and a closing slide on what the footage reveals.
The agent is expected to return a slide plan, the written slides, a visual direction, a speaker-ready structure and a short self-review of whether someone would retell the story after seeing it once.
- Five decades of home movies, arranged by era, for family.
- A 1980s-style deck for a relative's life story, with speaker notes for a family gathering.
- A single HTML file you can open in a browser or send to relatives.
Safety, privacy and tips
Before you upload private family photos or footage to any tool, decide whether that is acceptable to you. The skill itself gives no privacy guidance, and its Google Fonts import loads external resources. Check the generated HTML before sharing it.
The look is fixed to this retro theme. Do not choose it for a business or formal deck that needs corporate branding, because the palette and fonts cannot be changed. Edit the content inside the HTML file only, since the design and keyboard navigation depend on the existing code.
- Keep the design and keyboard-navigation code intact; replace only the content.
- Avoid sending private footage to third-party tools unless you have decided that is acceptable.
- Expect fonts to fall back if Google Fonts is blocked.
- Use it for personal stories, not corporate presentations.
What people use it for
- Turning five decades of home movies into a chronological family story with one slide per era.
- Making a retro-styled life-story deck for a family gathering, with speaker notes for the presenter.
- Creating a single shareable HTML file that relatives can open in a browser.
- Building a personal photo-essay slideshow without designing the layout from scratch.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the hps-retro-tv agent skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload it under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
Is the hps-retro-tv skill free to use?
The item is listed under the Apache-2.0 licence. Check the licence file included with the download for the terms that apply to your use.
What do I need to run hps-retro-tv?
You need an agent that can read and write files, such as Claude Code or another SKILL.md-compatible agent, and a web browser to view the HTML output. Internet access is optional, since fonts fall back if Google Fonts is blocked.
Does hps-retro-tv run scripts or use the network?
According to the listing, the skill does not run scripts and does use the network. The network use is the Google Fonts import, which loads external resources.
Can I use hps-retro-tv for a business presentation?
Not well. The palette and fonts are fixed to the retro theme, so it cannot carry corporate branding. It is designed for personal life stories and family audiences.
Is it safe to upload family photos or videos to this skill?
The skill gives no privacy guidance of its own. Decide whether you are comfortable sending private footage to any third-party tool before you start, and review the HTML file before sharing it.
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Our verdict
Choose hps-retro-tv if you want a distinctive, retro-styled HTML slideshow for a personal or family story and you are comfortable editing a single HTML file. Pick a different tool if you need corporate branding, a flexible theme, or a workflow that keeps private footage entirely offline.
Download the skill