A color projection display in which at least one color channel includes: a light source assembly including a multiplicity of pulse modulated light sources providing an aggregate light beam; a light modulation control subsystem; illumination optics to direct the aggregate light beam to an image modulation plane; and a spatial light modulator in the image modulation plane. The light modulation control subsystem senses an aggregate light intensity signal for the aggregate light beam and controls the pulse modulation parameters for the multiplicity of pulse-modulated light sources responsive to the sensed aggregate light intensity signal to reduce light intensity fluctuations in the aggregate light beam within the imaging time interval.