We propose and demonstrate the use of hybrid ternary modulated digital pages for content-addressable holographic data storage. Display of binary data pages with equal number of ZEROs and ONEs by modulating both amplitude and phase of beams using twisted-nematic liquid crystal spatial light modulator, reduces strong de component and produces a more homogeneous spectral distribution at the recording plane. This technique facilitates better recording of all spatial frequencies, thus improving the discrimination capability of a content-addressable memory. Hence we get better results in associative recall in a holographic memory system, with very low number of false hits. An important advantage of the hybrid ternary modulation over pure phase data pages is that it offers a dark state for coding the undesired portion of the SLM while the search argument is small. The unique orientation of quarter wave plate and the analyzer blocks the light transmitted from OFF pixels leading to near total removal of dark signals. This in turn improves the system performance and reduces the number of false hits when the size of the search argument is small. Our experimental results show good discrimination capability and signal-to-noise ratio for a hybrid ternary modulation based content addressable memory. © 2005 The Optical Society of Japan.