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Sonic Foundry SoftEncode
SoftEncode is an AC3 encoder and decoder created and marketed by Sonic Foundry
based on the official Dolby libraries, with a pleasing and featureful
interface.
AC3 is a compression format created by Dolby Laboratories originally to provide
digital sound in cinemas, with the encoded track stored optically in 35mm film
prints.
The format had its big breakthrough when it was selected as a mandatory format
(next to LPCM) in the DVD standard. It single-handedly brought surround sound to
the masses - LPCM could only be stored in DVDs in stereo mode and DTS, another
multichannel audio format, was not mandatory, so only high end DVD players
supported it.
The compression performance is similar to MP2: AC3 achieves transparency around
192kbps for stereo streams and 448kbps for 5.1 streams. Streams are always
constant bitrate - there is no VBR option.
The version hosted here is a demonstration. It allows full access to the
interface, but disables AC3 encoding. SoftEncode was very expensive - USD
995,00 for the multichannel version and 495,00 for the stereo one - because
the format was never meant to be encoded by end users, but by DVD authoring
facilities.
The SoftEncode web page can still be seen at the Internet Archive, here.
Date: 1998-01-22
Version: 1.0
Interface: Graphical
Platform: Win32
Download: softendemv10x86.exe - 675kB
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