A display apparatus (10; 120; 110) comprising: at least one color channel (20r, 20g, 20b) providing a modulated light for each of a plurality of sequentially displayed image frames, each color channel (20r, 20g, 20b) comprising: one or more laser sources (70r, 70g, 70b) that provide a polarized illumination beam; and an imaging modulator (85r, 85g, 85b) in the path of the illumination beam actuable to modulate light in the illumination beam and direct the modulated light toward a projection lens; and a laser blanking apparatus in the path of the modulated light from the imaging modulator (85r, 85g, 85b) and disposed to block stray light from optical components of the display apparatus (10; 120; 110) during time intervals between sequential image frames, the laser blanking apparatus comprising: a light polarization modulator (64; 64r, 64g, 64b) that is synchronously timed to control the polarization of the modulated light to provide light having a first polarization during all image frame time intervals and light having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization during the time intervals between image frames; and an analyzer having a polarization transmission axis, wherein the analyzer transmits light of the first polarization thereby transmitting the image frames and does not transmit light of the second polarization. at least one color channel (20r, 20g, 20b) providing a modulated light for each of a plurality of sequentially displayed image frames, each color channel (20r, 20g, 20b) comprising: one or more laser sources (70r, 70g, 70b) that provide a polarized illumination beam; and an imaging modulator (85r, 85g, 85b) in the path of the illumination beam actuable to modulate light in the illumination beam and direct the modulated light toward a projection lens; and a laser blanking apparatus in the path of the modulated light from the imaging modulator (85r, 85g, 85b) and disposed to block stray light from optical components of the display apparatus (10; 120; 110) during time intervals between sequential image frames, the laser blanking apparatus comprising: a light polarization modulator (64; 64r, 64g, 64b) that is synchronously timed to control the polarization of the modulated light to provide light having a first polarization during all image frame time intervals and light having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization during the time intervals between image frames; and an analyzer having a polarization transmission axis, wherein the analyzer transmits light of the first polarization thereby transmitting the image frames and does not transmit light of the second polarization. one or more laser sources (70r, 70g, 70b) that provide a polarized illumination beam; and an imaging modulator (85r, 85g, 85b) in the path of the illumination beam actuable to modulate light in the illumination beam and direct the modulated light toward a projection lens; and a laser blanking apparatus in the path of the modulated light from the imaging modulator (85r, 85g, 85b) and disposed to block stray light from optical components of the display apparatus (10; 120; 110) during time intervals between sequential image frames, the laser blanking apparatus comprising: a light polarization modulator (64; 64r, 64g, 64b) that is synchronously timed to control the polarization of the modulated light to provide light having a first polarization during all image frame time intervals and light having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization during the time intervals between image frames; and an analyzer having a polarization transmission axis, wherein the analyzer transmits light of the first polarization thereby transmitting the image frames and does not transmit light of the second polarization. a light polarization modulator (64; 64r, 64g, 64b) that is synchronously timed to control the polarization of the modulated light to provide light having a first polarization during all image frame time intervals and light having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization during the time intervals between image frames; and an analyzer having a polarization transmission axis, wherein the analyzer transmits light of the first polarization thereby transmitting the image frames and does not transmit light of the second polarization.