The invention provides a display panel 9; a gain variable liquid crystal driving circuit 10 for driving the display panel 9 with an amplified video signal that is obtained by multiplying an input video signal by a variable coefficient; a backlight operating circuit 6 for operating, based on a lamp control signal, a backlight 8 for illuminating the display panel 9; a level extension signal calculating circuit 11 for outputting an optical output level extension signal Lout by extending a predetermined output level used to operate the backlight 8, wherein the predetermined output level is extended based on an optical output gain obtained from the input video signal, and an output peak value of the backlight 8; and a white peak improving circuit 5 for receiving the optical output level extension signal, and for outputting a lamp control signal, whose white peak level has been adjusted according to a change in brightness of a scene, to the backlight operating circuit 6, and for calculating and outputting a video amplitude gain, which adjusts an amplitude of a video signal, as a coefficient to a gain variable driving amplifier circuit 3, wherein the lamp control signal is outputted when the brightness of a scene is above normal level, and the video amplitude gain is outputted when the brightness is at normal level. As a result, there is provided a display apparatus that improves peak luminance in a bright scene and suppresses pale black display in a dark scene and thereby provide a wide dynamic range without increasing power consumption.