Within a sequential display system, an apparatus performs motion adaptive processing of a pixel signal that controls the illumination of a corresponding pixel. The apparatus determines from the pixel signal whether motion has occurred for at least a predetermined duration. If not, the apparatus processes the pixel signal to cause a substantially uniform distribution of illumination throughout the picture period for the associated pixel. Otherwise, if motion has occurred for more than the predetermined duration, the apparatus processes the pixel signal to cause a substantial confinement of illumination to a limited interval of the picture period.