digdia helps companies find growth opportunities, create winning strategies and business plans for companies in the digital entertainment value chain. Services include strategic consulting and market analysis with a balanced business & technical perspective.

Strategic consulting services are further described on the Services page, and market reports can be found on the Reports page.  Presentations can also be given to groups or conferences that seek a strategic view of the market, technology and companies.

Gary Sasaki - President

Gary has been involved in the digital consumer electronics industry, plus various parts of its value chain for over thirteen years.  Areas have included digital imaging/video, digital media, digital displays, digital cinema, digital cable, home integration, audio/video networking, telematics, and handheld products. 

Gary formed DIGDIA in 2004, and is focused on helping companies find and analyze growth opportunities in markets empowered by digital media.  Customers include Samsung, Panasonic, Philips, Siemens, Intel, HP, Canon, Pioneer, Bosch, Bain & Co. and other companies. Gary has spoken at Digital Hollywood, CABA, CableNEXT, Home Entertainment Show, Strategy Institute, Pepperdine University, Santa Clara University, IBDNetwork, SDForum and other events. 

Prior to forming DIGDIA, Gary had 30 years experience with Hewlett Packard, including 10 years in HP Labs as a Strategic Business Development manager responsible for finding and helping to initiate new billion dollar businesses in the digital consumer electronics value chain space.  HP Labs offered a rich mix of cutting edge technology and a central point to work with any HP business division or outside company. 

Before HP Labs, Gary was an HP division R&D Manager leading over 100 professionals working on three separate product lines, each #1 in their market worldwide.   Other positions include Product Marketing and Project Management.

He received his BSEE/CS from the University of California, Berkeley; attended the Brookings Institution, and had other coursework in Stanford and HP.  Gary is the current chairman of the IEEE Consumer Electronics Society Santa Clara Valley chapter, and member of  SCTE, SMPTE, CABA, Digital Cinema Society and a CEDIA instructor.

Chris Pedersen – Senior Analyst

Chris Pedersen has been instrumental in catalyzing and accelerating new digital video and consumer businesses for over 20 years, resulting in on-going revenue of more than $5B per year.  The breadth of businesses spans digital post-production, broadcast, video-on-demand, Internet download services, consumer PCs, digital photography, mobile devices, media formats and breakthrough storage, display and processor technologies.  He specializes in business case development and strategy, but has extensive experience in product marketing management, brand management, program management and market research. 

Prior to joining DIGDIA, Chris had 23 years experience with Hewlett Packard, most of it spent identifying, developing and contributing to new businesses.  Successful on-going businesses include HP Pavilion consumer PC’s, HP MediaStream Servers (spun out to Pinnacle, since bought by Avid), Vector Modulation test equipment (now Agilent).  Most recently, he helped develop business plans for the HP Digital Entertainment Service business, which is helping studios and video merchants leverage the Internet to offer consumers compelling new ways to access long-tail content.  Other recent areas of business-case development include consumer photo-sharing services and mobile consumer solutions.

He received his BSEE from Brigham Young University with minors in mathematics and German.  He has significant additional coursework and training in engineering management, digital photography and imaging from Brigham Young University and Santa Clara University.

Part Time Openings

DIGDIA is looking for analysts that can cover parts of the digital entertainment value chain.  Analysts must have familiarity with the industry, a relevant technical background and strategic business experience.  See Contact page for contact info.