SurCode Surround Dolby Digital v2 from Minnetonka is software that encodes 5.1 surround-sound files to the Dolby Digital (AC-3) format. It can also convert stereo and mono sound files to the same format. The software accepts up to six master sound files in either WAV or AIFF format and outputs an AC3 file that can be used for DVD authoring, or a WAV file that can transfer Dolby Digital over an S/PDIF connection.
The audio track of a DVD-Video consumes a large amount of disk space. For example, two hours of stereo audio at 16-bit/48kHz uses nearly 1.4GB of the DVD's 4.3GB of capacity. Dolby Digital encoding is an excellent option for audio on a DVD-Video disc and other media, because it reduces the size of the audio files typically by a ratio of 8:1, while still delivering excellent sound quality.
Version 2 provides several enhancements, including a decoder for checking the encoded files. Also new is batch mode capability, a time-code option in the encoded file header, editable file edit boxes, auto-generation of destination filenames, command-line encoding, and a status bar on the bottom of the Main Screen which indicates the progress of the encoder.