Liquid crystal display device with uniform characteristics over whole display area

A projector comprising a liquid crystal display device for forming an optical image output and a projecting optical system for projecting the optical image output from said liquid crystal display device, said liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a liquid crystal spatial modulating element holding a liquid crystal layer between a pair of parallel substrates, wherein transmission of light incident upon the liquid crystal layer along an incidence direction tilted to a predetermined direction from a normal to the substrates takes a local minimum as a voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer is changed, and the voltage at the local minimum changes as the incidence direction is changed;
• an illumination optical system for supplying illumination light fluxes generally over a whole surface of said liquid crystal spatial modulating element along incidence direction or directions tilted to said predetermined direction;
• and
• a driver circuit capable of applying a voltage across the liquid crystal layer, the voltage being generally equal to a voltage which provides the local minimum of the transmission with respect to the illumination light.