SDH Captions (for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing)
SDH (Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) carries more than dialogue: speaker changes, music and sound cues, and positioning that never hides who is on screen. I delivered English SDH for six episodes of a US streaming series, around 160 minutes, for a US media-localization agency, with >> speaker changes, [MUSIC] cues and captions raised to clear on-screen names and lower-thirds.
The speaker ID and sound cue only appear with SDH on.
What you receive
Spec checklist
How it works
Scope and spec
You send the video and target profile. I confirm frame rate, timecode, caption style and the delivery formats you need.
Author
I time and write the captions or subtitles to the reading-speed, line-length and positioning rules for the target.
Encode and wrap
I produce the deliverables: SCC, MXF OP1A embed, SMPTE ST 2052-1 or DCP XML, plus a burned-in preview.
QC and deliver
I decode the result independently with caption-inspector, fix anything that drifts, and deliver with a report.
Three-layer QC before anything ships
Broadcast and cinema files fail on decoders, not in an editor preview. Every delivery goes through three passes and an independent decode.
1. Rough pass
Spot and draft every caption against the script, source audio and shot changes.
2. Alignment and timing
Tune reading speed, line breaks and positioning; align to shot changes and clear names and lower-thirds.
3. Independent senior QC
Decode the result on a separate decoder, check conformance to the target spec, and sign it off.
Indicative rate
$2.5–5 / minute
Related captioning services
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between SDH and closed captions?
Both serve deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. Closed captions are a broadcast data track (608/708) toggled by the player; SDH is usually a subtitle-style track that also carries speaker IDs and sound cues, and travels well on streaming and disc. I deliver either, or both from the same script.
Do you add music and sound descriptions?
Yes. SDH marks non-speech audio that matters to the story, such as [MUSIC], [PHONE RINGS] or [APPLAUSE], and identifies speakers with >> when the speaker changes, so nothing important is lost without the audio.
Have you delivered SDH professionally?
Yes. I delivered English SDH for six episodes, around 160 minutes, of a US streaming series for a US media-localization agency, positioned to clear on-screen names and independently QC-verified.
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