A holographic display image projector system including an input light source for generating an at least partially coherent optical input beam and an imaging system for transforming an image representation in the Fourier domain into a corresponding holographic image in the spatial domain. The image projector includes a spatial light modulator having a reflective phase manipulating surface and being responsive to an electric control signal to generate a two-dimensional phase profile on the reflective phase manipulation surface to diffract the optical input beam into a diffracted beam having a plurality of diffraction components angularly separated in a first dimension. A coupling prism having a first surface positioned such that a first subset of the diffraction components is refracted through the first surface to the imaging system, wherein upon refraction, an angular separation of the first subset of diffraction components is increased by at least a factor of 2.