A display device comprising: a display portion including a plurality of image forming portions, a light source for illuminating the display portion and having an intensity changeable in accordance with images to be displayed on a screen of the display portion; a display drive portion (270, 280) for driving the display portion; a light source drive portion for driving the light source; and a control portion for controlling the display drive portion (270, 280) in accordance with externally received data, wherein the control portion includes a refresh rate control portion for controlling a refresh rate of the images to be displayed on the screen, wherein the display device is adapted to display a first still image during a first pause period, to display a second still image during a second pause period, wherein each of the pause periods comprises one or more refresh periods followed by no-refresh periods and characterized by displaying each of plural images (A, B,..., I) during respective sub-transition periods of a transition period between the first pause period and the second pause period so that the intensity of the light source of the display device gradually changes in accordance with gradual changes of the images (A, B,..., I) to be displayed from said first still image to said second still image; wherein, in the transition period, a vertical display period lasting from the start of a refresh period for refreshing the screen to the start of another refresh period immediately following the refresh period has a duration less than or equal to a duration of a sub-transition periods during the transition period; and the starting point of every sub-transition period is coincident with the starting point of a vertical display period. a display portion including a plurality of image forming portions, a light source for illuminating the display portion and having an intensity changeable in accordance with images to be displayed on a screen of the display portion; a display drive portion (270, 280) for driving the display portion; a light source drive portion for driving the light source; and a control portion for controlling the display drive portion (270, 280) in accordance with externally received data, wherein the control portion includes a refresh rate control portion for controlling a refresh rate of the images to be displayed on the screen, wherein the display device is adapted to display a first still image during a first pause period, to display a second still image during a second pause period, wherein each of the pause periods comprises one or more refresh periods followed by no-refresh periods and characterized by displaying each of plural images (A, B,..., I) during respective sub-transition periods of a transition period between the first pause period and the second pause period so that the intensity of the light source of the display device gradually changes in accordance with gradual changes of the images (A, B,..., I) to be displayed from said first still image to said second still image; wherein, in the transition period, a vertical display period lasting from the start of a refresh period for refreshing the screen to the start of another refresh period immediately following the refresh period has a duration less than or equal to a duration of a sub-transition periods during the transition period; and the starting point of every sub-transition period is coincident with the starting point of a vertical display period.