A method of operating a high dynamic range display device comprises the steps of: accessing an image signal; generating an intermediate backlighting driver signal for individual backlight elements for a backlighting unit responsive to the image signal; convoluting the intermediate backlighting driver signals with a point spread function of the backlighting unit; deriving at least one new backlighting driver signal responsive to the convoluting step; determining display error associated with a plurality of available light shutter signals of a front-end unit having individual light shutters and associated with the at least one new backlighting driver signal, the front-end unit having a higher resolution than the backlighting unit; driving the display device with a combination of shutter signals and new backlighting driver signals that causes a reduction in the display error with respect to other generated intermediate backlighting driver signals and other available light shutter signals.