A display system comprises a color sequential display (201) having a backlight (205) comprising several backlight segments and a light modulating panel (207) comprising pixels having controllable light transmission. A backlight unit (211) determines, for a plurality of backlight segments, backlight chromaticities for fields of an image in response to the image content. An order unit (217) determines a sequential order of the backlight chromaticities for each of the plurality of backlight segments for the image in response to the chromaticities. A driver (219) generates a backlight drive signal for the backlight (205) corresponding to the chromaticities and sequential order. A modulating processor (213) determines light modulating values for the pixels in response to the chromaticities, the sequential order and the image. A driver (221) then generates a light modulating drive signal for the light modulating element corresponding to the light modulating values. The system may improve image quality by reducing spatial cross-talk between the backlight segments.