As retailers are slashing prices on HDTVs for holiday sales, more consumers are expected to buy TVs that are 60 inches or larger.

By the end of 2011, U.S. consumer electronics retailers will have sold 1.3 million HDTVs that are 60 inches or larger, according to a study from Digital Entertainment Group. That would mark a 50 percent increase from the number of giant HDTVs sold in 2010.

DEG attributed the growth in sales of 60-inch plus TVs to widespread adoption of the Blu-ray disc format, along with advances in 3DTV technology.

Pay TV providers ranging from Comcast to DirecTV are also ramping up the amount of high-definition and 3D content that they offer to subscribers.