A passive dithering display system includes an optical display including a plurality of pixels with optical dead space between the pixels for producing an image, and a birefringent material for shifting one polarization component of the image relative to a second polarization component of the image such that the shifted polarization component lies in the dead space. Thus, the system of the invention can change the location of an optical signal, and the change can be used to improve resolution of a display, to reduce fixed pattern noise of a display, to facilitate locating and hiding of circuitry, to facilitate overlapping of tiles or pixels, etc.