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SME Accessibility

Complete module for deaf and hard-of-hearing subtitling: speakers, colors, positioning, entry types and broadcast compliance.

SME subtitling (Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) goes beyond spoken dialogue: it conveys sound information — who is speaking, what can be heard, what music is playing — so that a deaf or hard-of-hearing audience can follow the program in full.

Scene Cut includes a complete SME module, designed to meet the requirements of European broadcasters and streaming platforms alike. The module is organized in two tiers, depending on the project's needs.

Two activation levels

Basic mode — color and positioning

The first tier enables visual tools: subtitle colors, horizontal alignment, and vertical positioning. This is what most broadcast workflows use, where colors and placement are enough to distinguish speakers.

This mode gives access to:

  • The BBC/Ofcom color palette on each subtitle
  • Horizontal alignment (left, center, right)
  • Precise vertical positioning (23 positions, EBU-STL compatible)
  • Real-time WCAG AA contrast validation

Extended mode — speakers and classification

The second tier adds speaker identification and entry type classification. This is the full mode, expected by streaming platforms and the most demanding delivery specifications.

It adds to basic mode:

  • The speaker field with autocomplete and automatic color mapping
  • Entry type classification (dialogue, sound effect, music, narrator)
  • SME validation (missing markers, inconsistent type)
  • SME metrics in the QC report
Basic mode is sufficient for broadcast EBU-STL delivery with colors and positioning. Extended mode is recommended for projects that require full speaker identification and a detailed QC report.

Activating SME mode

SME mode is activated in the project's standards profile:

  1. Open the standards profile (click the badge in the toolbar)
  2. In the SME section, enable SME Subtitling for basic mode
  3. Enable Extended Mode to access speakers and classification

SME controls appear immediately in the action bar of each subtitle.

Activating SME mode does not affect existing subtitles — it simply makes the corresponding tools visible. The mode can be toggled on and off at any time without data loss. If an imported file contains colors or speaker data, SME mode is activated automatically.

What the SME module provides

  • Speakers and colors — identify who is speaking with a name and a dedicated color
  • Positioning — control horizontal alignment and vertical position of each subtitle
  • Entry types — classify each subtitle as dialogue, sound effect, music, or narration
  • SME Validation — check compliance in real time and produce a detailed QC report
  • Import and export — preserve SME data across all professional formats

Fixing Errors

Correction strategies: quick fix, Autofit, and manual rewriting.

Speakers and colors

Speaker identification by name and color following the BBC/Ofcom palette, with autocomplete and persisted mapping.