Well it says new members can't reply to threads more than 60 days old. So I quoted you. That Dolby TrueHD encoder. I wonder if it's expensive because it's based on, and can also encode MLP lossless. What an expensive codec! For your purposes, do you use it? There's no way I would want it as I'm only a "prosumer" if anything. So I have not bothered (with the surcode one either).
The Dolby True HD encoder is Mac OSX only. The actual encoder can be got for "only" $2500 or so, without any of the proofing tools that are sort of vital. MLP Lossless is exactly the same as Dolby True HD as well, but "True HD" enables up to 7.1 where the released MLP encoders from Meridian & SurCode only enabled 5.1 I use MLP Lossless (SurCode encoder) that I bought for $2000 way back in 2000. For DVD-Video encoding I use the Nuendo DDE, and the DTS-HD MAS system as this allows the "legacy" streams (DTS Core Audio) as well as DTS-ES (6.1 discrete or matrixed) and DTS 96/24, all of which are fine for DVD-Video. The DTS-HD MAS encoder also includes DTS-CD, DTS-HD Lossless & High Resolution etc, and includes stream tools fopr splicing/editing a stream, and a streamplayer too. At $1500 it is all the encoder I really need except for my MLP Lossless one & the DD one. Very occasionally I also use Dolby ProLogic II as well for matrixed Lt/Rt streams.
That's interesting, so although MLP allows for 7.1 channels, surcode etc only allow for 5.1. Actually it also allows up to 63 channels (I think)! But I guess no one's silly enough to want to author that many channels. Just stick with PCM.
MLP (Meridian Lossless) allows for up to 14 channels, AFAIK. Could be mistaken though. Dolby True HD does allow for more, but none of this is enabled - or likely to be either.