A display, including: an LCD panel and a backlight configured to illuminate the LCD panel, comprising: a plurality of actively modulated point light sources spaced apart along a planar light distribution structure; a planar reflector having an array of transparent regions at locations corresponding to the plurality of point light sources, the point light sources and planar reflector configured to illuminate the LCD panel via the planar light distribution structure; driving circuits configured to control the point light sources to emit light; the driving circuits being configured to receive image data specifying an image and to drive the light sources to illuminate the LCD panel with a low-resolution version of the image to be displayed; wherein: the plurality of light sources are configured such that light from the light sources is scattered within the planar light distribution structure to form a pattern of light to provide the low-resolution version of the image on the LCD panel, and the LCD panel is configured to modulate the low resolution version of the image to provide a higher resolution image for viewing by observers, and the planar light distribution structure comprises a light diffuser configured to diffuse light which passes into the structure from the point light sources, the light diffuser comprising a plurality of layers of a thin weakly light-scattering sheet material, the light diffuser providing anisotropic scattering of light rays wherein light rays in the planar light distribution structure directed substantially parallel to a normal viewing direction are scattered more strongly than light rays travelling in other directions in the planar light distribution structure. an LCD panel and a backlight configured to illuminate the LCD panel, comprising: a plurality of actively modulated point light sources spaced apart along a planar light distribution structure; a planar reflector having an array of transparent regions at locations corresponding to the plurality of point light sources, the point light sources and planar reflector configured to illuminate the LCD panel via the planar light distribution structure; driving circuits configured to control the point light sources to emit light; the driving circuits being configured to receive image data specifying an image and to drive the light sources to illuminate the LCD panel with a low-resolution version of the image to be displayed; a plurality of actively modulated point light sources spaced apart along a planar light distribution structure; a planar reflector having an array of transparent regions at locations corresponding to the plurality of point light sources, the point light sources and planar reflector configured to illuminate the LCD panel via the planar light distribution structure; driving circuits configured to control the point light sources to emit light; the driving circuits being configured to receive image data specifying an image and to drive the light sources to illuminate the LCD panel with a low-resolution version of the image to be displayed; wherein: the plurality of light sources are configured such that light from the light sources is scattered within the planar light distribution structure to form a pattern of light to provide the low-resolution version of the image on the LCD panel, and the LCD panel is configured to modulate the low resolution version of the image to provide a higher resolution image for viewing by observers, and the planar light distribution structure comprises a light diffuser configured to diffuse light which passes into the structure from the point light sources, the light diffuser comprising a plurality of layers of a thin weakly light-scattering sheet material, the light diffuser providing anisotropic scattering of light rays wherein light rays in the planar light distribution structure directed substantially parallel to a normal viewing direction are scattered more strongly than light rays travelling in other directions in the planar light distribution structure. the plurality of light sources are configured such that light from the light sources is scattered within the planar light distribution structure to form a pattern of light to provide the low-resolution version of the image on the LCD panel, and the LCD panel is configured to modulate the low resolution version of the image to provide a higher resolution image for viewing by observers, and the planar light distribution structure comprises a light diffuser configured to diffuse light which passes into the structure from the point light sources, the light diffuser comprising a plurality of layers of a thin weakly light-scattering sheet material, the light diffuser providing anisotropic scattering of light rays wherein light rays in the planar light distribution structure directed substantially parallel to a normal viewing direction are scattered more strongly than light rays travelling in other directions in the planar light distribution structure.