light guide 310 without the use of a reflective surface 309 in operation leds 303 of the direct view backlight 304 provide illumination originating directly behind the lcd panel 202 in one exemplary embodiment all of the leds in the direct view backlight 304 are white leds 303 and the number and distribution of the white leds is based upon the luminosity requirements of the lcd display 200 the direct view illumination 320 produced by the direct view backlight impinges on the light guide 310 at approximately a ninety degree angle and passes through the light guide 310 edge lit illumination 322 can be produced using color leds such as red leds in order to assist in providing the correct chromaticity the edge lit illumination 322 produced by the color led 308 from the edge lit backlight 306 can reflect from reflective surface 309 into the light guide 310 the edge lit illumination 322 can then propagate through the light guide 310 exiting at one of a plurality of apertures or other light extraction features not pictured found at locations on or within the light guide 310 the direct view illumination 320 and the edge lit illumination 322 mix with each other in mixer region 311 mixer region 311 helps to ensure the uniformity of a combined illumination 324 comprising the direct view illumination 320 and the edge lit illumination 322 which in turn helps in achieving proper luminosity and chromaticity requirements the mixed illumination 324 passes through a diffuser which spreads the mixed illumination 324 for an even backlighting of the lcd panel 202 while the positions and orientations of illumination on 324 and 322 are depicted in fig3 in a regular pattern it is recognized that in general such illumination will be diffuse.