A control system for a dual modulation display comprises an input configured to receive image data specifying a desired image at an initial resolution, a downsampler configured to downsample the image data into a plurality of downsample blocks and obtain one or more image values for each downsample block, a backlight processing pipeline which determines driving levels for light emitters based on the image values, a lightfield simulator which receives data about the driving levels and generates a backlight illumination pattern, a front modulator processing pipeline which receives the image data and the backlight illumination pattern and determines control levels for light transmission elements of the front modulator, and, an image value adjuster which receives the image values and reduces image values of downsample blocks which meet adjustment criteria before providing the image values to the backlight processing pipeline.