Sunnyvale, Calif. - The ratio of purchases of so-called small TVs (those measuring up to 37 inches) compared to large-screen size sets (those measuring 37 to 50 inches) has shifted to 3:2 this year compared to 1:1 a year ago, according to a new study released by market research firm Retrevo Pulse.

The analyst cited possible reasons for the shift as the following:

• The completion of the digital TV transition on June 12 was a motivating factor in a new TV purchases by a wider population segment.

• More households are now adding multiple HDTV sets for various rooms in the house.

• More HDTV programming through terrestrial broadcasts, cable, satellite and Internet TV is now available, stoking consumer demand for sets on which to view it.

For this reason, Retrevo said it now forecasts manufacturers and resellers of HDTVs to have "an especially good year for smaller-screen TVs," this year.

Retrevo Pulse provides publicly available indices that map daily price and demand trends in the consumer electronics industry across 40 categories and more than 4,000 products.