A picture display device of the index type comprises a cathode ray tube (1) and a display window with a display screen (10) having phosphor patterns comprising parallel aligned phosphor lines (R, G, B), and with an index system (20) having a plurality of index elements (21) extending substantially parallel to the phosphor lines. The electron beam(s) (6, 7, 8) are deflected across the display screen (10) parallel to the phosphor lines and along and across the phospor lines. The display device has no color selection electrode in front of the display screen. The phosphor lines are arranged in the color sequence A-B-C-B-A-B-C, etc., where A, B and C stand for red, green and blue phosphors or any mutation of said colors, and, in operation, the video lines overlap such that each B phosphor line is written in a single video line and each A and C phosphor line is written by two video lines.