Systems and methods for increasing dynamic contrast in a liquid crystal display (LCD) may include a segmented backlight that may include one or more segments and one or more sets of light emitting diodes (LEDs). Each set of LEDs may be configured to illuminate a corresponding segment and each segment may include a notch(es) configured as a light barrier to reduce light leakage to non-adjacent segments. The notch(es) may be of variable length, depth, and width and may be three-dimensional, having a width the varies along the depth and length of the notch and a depth that varies along the width and length of the notch. In some embodiments, the notch(es) may be reflective, some degree of opaque, and/or blackened.