• by Erik Sass , November 17, 2010

Digital out-of-home video is booming, with total ad spending projected to increase 15% in 2010 to just shy of $2.1 billion, according to the latest forecast from PQ Media. So it's no surprise that a number of media research firms are throwing their hat into the audience measurement ring for this burgeoning medium.

The latest entry comes from Automated Media Services, which this week introduced PlayScan, a service designed to provide continuously audited real-time, non-sampled, electronic confirmation of play and performance for digital out-of-home video.

Among other things, it can tell network operators, media buyers and advertising clients whether DO video advertisements have played -- and played correctly, according to the advertiser's creative, technical, and scheduling specifications.

Striking an optimistic note, AMS CEO Bob Wolinsky boldly forecast that global demand for PlayScan technology could exceed $500 million in the not-too-distant future.

There is no question that the DO measurement arena is heating up. Last month, GfK MRI dipped its toe in the marketplace with a new study suggesting that 67.4 million U.S. adults -- or 29.6% of the country's adult population -- saw place-based video advertising in the previous 30 days, including displays in stores, shopping malls, restaurants, medical offices, bars, airports or health clubs.

In 2009, Arbitron unveiled plans to begin measuring DO video with its Portable People Meter, a passive electronic measurement device, in a new service called ARB-TV.