Market research firm iSuppli Corp has raised its forecast for large-sized LCD panel shipments for 2007 and the following years, due, the firm said, to rising demand, tightening supply and increasing prices.

Global revenue for large-sized LCD panels -- those with diagonal dimensions of 10 inches or greater -- will rise to $66 billion in 2007, up 22.2 percent from $54 billion in 2006. This represents a 6 percent increase compared to iSuppli's previous forecast of $62 billion for 2007.

In 2007, worldwide shipments are forecast to reach 353.8 million units, up 25.2 percent from 282.5 million units in 2006. iSuppli previously predicted shipments of 350.1 million units for the year.

"Following weak pricing conditions in the fourth quarter of 2006 and in the first quarter of 2007, the large-sized LCD panel market entered into a robust recovery in the second quarter -- and strong conditions are persisting in the third quarter," Sweta Dash, director of LCD and projection research for iSuppli, said in a statement. Dash added that demand is rising for the panels from the television, desktop monitor and notebook PC market, while inventories remain under control.

This strength should continue during the coming years. Dash predicted the large-sized LCD panel market would expand to 597.6 million units by 2011, up 2 percent from iSuppli's previous forecast of 587.1 million units. Revenue will reach $102 billion in 2011, up 6 percent from iSuppli's previous forecast of $96 billion for the year. This will mark the first year the global large-sized LCD panel market exceeds $100 billion in size.

However, not all of iSuppli's news was completely sunny for the industry. Although costs for some panels are increasing or stabilizing, end prices for LCD-TVs are expected to continue to decline due to intense competition at the retail level, iSuppli said.

iSuppli has upgraded its forecast of global large-sized LCD-TV panel shipments in 2007 to 77.5 million units, a 2 percent increase from 75.6 million units previously estimated.

Down the road, iSuppli now predicts LCD-TV panel shipments will rise to 180.45 million units in 2011, up 5 percent from the firm's previous forecast of 172.2 million units.

An increase in consumer adoption along with expected capacity increases for 7.5-, eighth-, ninth- and tenth-generation LCD fabs have thus far caused price for the 40-inch and larger LCD panels to decline, iSuppli said, even as prices stabilize for 37-inch and smaller products.