A matrix array type liquid crystal device whose liquid crystal layer is ferro-electric is addressed using strobing pulses applied serially to the members of a set of electrodes on one side of the layer while balanced bipolar data pulses are applied in parallel to the members of a set of electrodes on the other side. The data pulses are twice the length of the strobing pulses. This provides a way of minimising the exposure of the pixels to 'wrong' voltages between consecutive addressings that would tend to drive them to their opposite states.