What Is SDH? Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing

Full Explanation

SDH stands for Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing. It is a hybrid format that emerged on DVD and Blu-ray and is now common on streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. SDH combines features of subtitles (timed text of spoken dialogue, usually in the same language as the audio) and closed captions (descriptions of music, sound effects, and speaker identification). SDH was designed because traditional closed captioning (the CC standard from U.S. broadcast television) requires specific decoder hardware to display, while SDH is encoded as standard text subtitles that any modern video player can render. As a result, SDH has become the de facto accessibility standard for streaming. A typical SDH line might read: '[ominous music swells] JOHN: We need to leave. Now.'

Examples

• -Netflix's 'English [CC]' option, which is technically SDH.
• -A Blu-ray subtitle track labeled 'English SDH'.

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