Edge lit displays are lit via a set (or individual) lighting elements. Each element projects light onto, for example, a zone which is then utilized directed as a backlight toward an LCD panel. An amount of light incident on any area (e.g., pixel) of the LCD panel (or SLM/series of SLMs) is calculated based on a sum of contributions from each zone. A similar process may be utilized for other lighting configurations. An amount of modulation performed by the LCD panel is then calculated based at least in part on lighting from the zones which may include brightness and varying levels of color content.