At the third pip ...

[chrisrob]

My (analogue) VCR, my digibox, my mobile phone, my desktop pc (with dial up internet) and my laptop computer (with mobile broadband dongle) all show the "correct" time automatically updated. But they can vary by as much as two minutes. Which is the most likely to be accurate?

[Rollo]

The VCR

[barry1010]

Turn your tv on and put teletext on. That should be accurate and is where your VCR takes the time from.

[Huderon]

Put a radio on (NOT a DAB radio though) and listen to the pips on Radio 4. The last pip is the one you go by to set the hour.

If your VCR is updated via the digibox, remember that like digital radios, the digibox has to convert the signal, and that takes a wee bit of time (it's why digital radios run behind old fashioned ones - how far behind depends on how fast the radio is able to convert the digital signal to sound). Similar things may be happening with your PC, laptop and phone.

[VHG]

Typing "Time" in Google gets loads of sites giving the correct time.

Here is a web site showing the atomic clock (need to add one hour for UK time)

http://www.atomic-clock.org.uk/atomuhr.html

If you go into "Adjust Date/Time" on your computer (XP anyway) there it a "Internet Time" tab.

This sets your computer time with a clock at web site time.windows.com

You can press "Update time" button to get it to check the time on your PC is correct.

[chrisrob]

Thanks for all your answers. I knew there was a lag between analogue and digital broadcasts but hadn't been sure about internet time updates.

[chrisrob]

Thanks for all your answers. I knew there was a lag between analogue and digital broadcasts but hadn't been sure about internet time updates ormobile phones.