computer science

Trymedia

Trymedia is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Trymedia rather than just read about it. In short: Trymedia Systems, Inc. is a division of RealNetworks that provides digital distribution services based on its proprietary ActiveMARK DRM and digital distribution technology. Trymedia is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Berkshire and Alicante.

Key takeaways

Trymedia belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Trymedia to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Trymedia from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Trymedia Systems, Inc. is a division of RealNetworks that provides digital distribution services based on its proprietary ActiveMARK DRM and digital distribution technology. Trymedia is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Berkshire and Alicante.

Overview Trymedia was founded in 1999 as Trymedia Systems, Inc. by cousins Alex Torrubia and Andres Torrubia. The company was launched in Spain, and after a round of fund-raising in New York, relocated to San Francisco. Macrovision acquired Trymedia for US$34 million on July 26, 2005. With the acquisition, Macrovision launched a new games division, Trymedia Games Division, based around Trymedia employees. Trymedia was not a profitable operation, losing $14.5 million on revenue of just over $9 million in 2007. On February 22, 2008, RealNetworks announced it had acquired Trymedia from Macrovision for an undisclosed sum, reported in a Macrovision conference call to be $4million. Trymedia operates an online network of digitally distributed computer games. The network is integrated into Microsoft's digital locker service, and provides white label online retail services to affiliates such as Electronics Boutique and GameSpot.

ActiveMARK ActiveMARK is a technology suite of Trymedia for secure digital distribution. It provides DRM protection for software distributed digitally or by CDs/DVD, along with commerce, distribution, administration and marketing services.

Trygames Trygames, a division of Trymedia, was a retail website offering computer games from the Trymedia games network for download, trial and purchase. It was launched in 2001. The Trygames website was closed and redirected to the GameHouse website in 2014.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Trymedia

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Trymedia claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Trymedia before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Trymedia ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Trymedia

In research: Trymedia appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Trymedia in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Trymedia is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics American companies established in 1999, Digital rights management, Information technology company stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Trymedia outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Trymedia in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Trymedia means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Trymedia out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Trymedia in simple terms?

Why does Trymedia matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Trymedia?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Trymedia.