WVIZ moves to DTV with Ikegami HD cameras           Cleveland: To WVIZ, DTV and education go hand in hand. As the Public station look to push the strength of learning through digital technology to exciting new levels, three new Ikegami HDK-79D HDTV cameras are an important part of the equation.           "Taking full advantage of DTV is where PBS' and WVIZ' interests lie," says Gary Bluhm, Director of Engineering for WVIZ. "We're looking to enhanced television and data transmission to serve our schools, and HDTV pprovides stunningly superior pictures for arts, science and nature programming."           For Bluhm, the first step in moving to HD was camera selection. "When it came time to choose the cameras for our all-digital facility, we really likes the Ikegami HDK-79Ds," he says. "They met all of our technical requirements, and they're flexible enough to be used in all of the applications we have planned for education.           "We had to have simultaneous HD and SD output, which the Ikegami's have, including the ability to make independent adjustments to each signal. Another requirement was that we would have Ikegami's ability to output in both the HDTV formats: 1080i, 720p and also 480p. And to make the most of our investment, our new cameras had to be easily convertible between studio and portable configurations, so that we could pull them out of our facility and use them for EFP or truck work. Our HDK-79Ds can do that."           All of which adds up to a highly versatile camera that makes it perfect for a public station. "Since we are a public broadcaster and don't have unlimited funds, we need to make sure what we buy is viable for the long term," Bluhm says. "We've dealt with Ikegami in the past, and we've been very happy. Their service, support and camera longevity have always been excellent."           Also included in the purchase were one Ikegami HL-V100 HD camcorder, 2 HC-400Ws with DVCPRO50 recorders, and a 42" plasma display and other monitoring systems. "Another thing that was significant for us is that Ikegami only makes cameras and monitors, Bluhm points out. "They don't make tape machines, for example, which means that they are likely to make open-architecture cameras that will work very closely with a variety of brands of equipment."           With adaptation to DTV and the internet part of the broadcasting landscape, Bluhm feels that his station has a handle on it. "HD is coming along much more rapidly than anyone would have guessed a year ago," he concludes. "At WVIZ, starting with Ikegami cameras made a lot of sense."           Ikegami Electronics is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-quality professional broadcast television cameras, monitors, and accessories. The company's High Definition TV Cameras (HDTV) have become the broadcast industry leaders as the change over to the High Definition Television format moves ahead.