Abstract: A method and apparatus for allowing a user to manually set a clock in a multi-format television receiver capable of receiving a plurality of television signals. The method comprises the steps of selecting a television signal from one of a plurality of television signals and then detecting temporal information in the television signal. Upon detecting such temporal information, the temporal information is extracted and used to set at least one clock to count time. Once the clock is set based upon the temporal information, the temporal information prevails over any manually set time, and the user is precluded from manually setting the clock. The television receiver continues to update the clock based upon the latest periodic temporal information periodically sent with the television signal. The user is permitted to manually set the time on a clock only in an instance where the updated temporal information has not been detected past a specified period of time.