LCD TV sales on a global level could jump by more than 20 percent this year—faster than originally forecast—thanks to strong showings in developed markets (notably North America, Europe, and Asia) and China's government stimulus-spending program for the transition to flat-screen TVs, according to revised research.

DisplaySearch said LCD sales were expected to reach 127 million units in the current calendar year (about 7 million more than its previous projection). In 2008, an estimated 105 million LCD units were sold.

LCD HD units, which are gradually eating into plasma and other technologies' share-of-market, will account for about 63 percent of global shipments this year, according to DisplaySearch. (Yet Reuters reports that LCD revenues will still erode by 6 percent, as originally forecast, because of price decreases.)

Meanwhile, global TV shipments are likely to decline 3 percent (to barely more than 200 million units) in 2009 as a result of the recession and subsequent rising unemployment.

Plasma HD sales, which somewhat surprisingly surged by 28 percent last year, are now expected to slide about 2 percent by the end of 2009.